1854
The Connecticut River reached a level of nearly twenty-nine feet at Hartford (the highest level of record up until that time).
The record height was reached in the midst of a great New England flood that followed sixty-six hours of steady rain.
This record was exceeded in 1936.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1857
Washington, DC:
The Washington Evening Star publishes the first US national weather summary using observations from volunteers to the Smithsonian Institution's cooperative network.(Ref. WxDoctor)

1868
Cleveland Abbe, Director of the Cincinnati Astronomical Observatory hoped that he would help his facility achieve a place among the great observatories of the world by providing weather forecasts to the public.
On this date, he shared his vision with his staff. Abbe would issue his first forecast, the Daily Weather Bulletin, later that year. Weather forecasting in the United States was born.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1895
Sedgewick and Harvey counties in Kansas hard hit by a tornado that was reportedly one mile wide.
The total path was 22 miles. 8 people died and 25 were injured. 25 farms were completely destroyed.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1907
The coldest May temperature ever recorded in Wichita Falls, TX occurred on this date as the temperature only reached 36°.
The May record of 36° was later tied on 5/3/1954 and on 5/12/1979.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1930
A tornado with F3 damage skipped from two miles south of Holmen, WI to Tomah, WI. 15 injuries resulted and damage estimates were $150,000 dollars.
Two tornadoes causing F2 damage occurred. Losses in the business district were about $100,000 dollars.
A nine-year old boy was killed by a flying store front as he ran for home. Also, 11 people were injured.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1933
The most deadly tornado in Louisiana's history struck Minden. 28 people were killed and 400 were injured.
500 homes were damaged or destroyed with $1.3 million dollars in damage.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1935
Snow, ice and sleet brought winter back to parts of southeast Minnesota.
Minneapolis received three inches of snow to tie its May record which was established in 1892. (1st-2nd)
(Ref. The Weather Channel)
Boston, Massachusetts recorded its highest average one minute wind velocity from the west at 55 mph for the month of May.
(Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events)

1967
A blizzard was in progress across the Dakotas. Wind gusts reached 70 mph at Dickinson, ND.
16 inches of snow fell at Lemmon, SD and 30 inches was reported in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota.
Frequent vivid lightning displays also accompanied this storm.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1983
A tornado outbreak produced 9 separate tornadoes that caused F2 and F3 damage in Osage, Warren, St. Charles and St. Louis City counties in Missouri and Greene, Jersey, Madison, and St. Clair counties in Illinois.
The outbreak was responsible for 49 injuries, and over $30 million dollars in damage.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1989
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain in the southeastern U.S. Rainfall totals of 1.84 inches at Charlotte, NC and 2.86 inches at Atlanta, GA were records for the date.
Strong thunderstorm winds uprooted trees in Twiggs County, GA.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather from northern Alabama to North Carolina.
There were sixty-three reports of large hail or damaging winds, with hail four inches in diameter reported near Cartersville, GA.
Ten cities in the southeastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date as readings warmed into the 90s. Jacksonville FL reported a record high of 96 degrees.
Late night thunderstorms over central Texas produced up to ten inches of rain in southern Kimble County and northern Edwards County.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
Late night thunderstorms over central Texas produced up to 10 inches of rain in southern Kimble County and northern Edwards County.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1999
Record low temperatures for the date were broken in the Deep South. Mobile, AL dropped to 46°, Miami fell to 58°, Miami Beach bottomed out at 61°, and Vero Beach dropped to 47°, all new records.
Other stations in Florida also set record cold maximums for the date, including 61° at Jacksonville and Daytona Beach with 66°.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
This was an unusual year for tornadoes in the central United States, as most outbreaks occurred during the first two weeks of the month.
A record breaking 384 tornado's occurred in 19 states during these first two weeks, which resulted in 42 fatalities.
Included in these record breaking events were the tornados which hit the Oklahoma City metropolitan area for two day.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

MAY
2ND

1762
A tornado struck Port Royal Island, South Carolina. It left a path 400 yards wide, tore up trees by the roots, and carried away houses and bridges.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1899
A storm buried Havre, MT under 24.8 inches of snow, an all-time record for that location.
The water equivalent of 2.48 inches was a record 24-hour total for the month of May.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1920
A swarm of tornadoes in Rogers, Mayes and Cherokee Counties in Oklahoma killed 64 persons.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1929
Virginia's worst tornado disaster occurred. Six tornadoes in VA, two of which were west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, killed 22 people.
Twelve children and a teacher were killed at Rye Cove, in Scott County. Four schools were destroyed by the storms.
The May 1st 2nd of 1929 Rye Cove, Virginia tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that swept from southwest to northeast
along the Appalachian Mountains from Oklahoma to Maryland in early May 1929.
This outbreak, which killed at least 42 people and injured at least 323, is notable as one of the worst to affect the states of Maryland and Virginia.
It is also one of the most intense tornado outbreaks to affect Appalachia.
The F2 tornado that struck Rye Cove, Virginia, is the deadliest tornado in Virginia history
and tied for the thirteenth-deadliest to hit a school in the United States, with all 13 deaths in a school building.
Western Virginia was particularly hard hit, with additional tornadoes confirmed in Alleghany, Bath, Culpeper, Fauquier and Loudoun Counties.
One of these tornadoes, near Culpeper, also destroyed a school, but the storm struck during the evening after classes had been dismissed for the day.
14 tornadoes were confirmed the strongest was an F3
(Ref. The Weather Channel and Wikipedia)(Ref. The Richmond Times-Dispatch)

1968
An extreme example of diurnal temperature fluctuation was reported at Juniper Lake in Oregon when the temperature purportedly rose from a morning low of zero to an afternoon high of 81°F.
(Ref. Extreme Weather p. 47, by Christopher C. Burt)

1983
Severe thunderstorms spawned twenty tornadoes across Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York State.
The tornadoes caused five deaths.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1987
Thunderstorms in the Lower Mississippi Valley produced golf ball size hail in northern Louisiana, and wind gusts to 77 mph at Lake Providence LA.
Thunderstorms in Arkansas produced 4.20 inches of rain at Arkadelphia and 4.00 inches at Bismarck.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988
A powerful storm produced snow and high winds in the Central Rockies and the Central High Plains Region.
Snowfall totals in Colorado ranged up to 12 inches at Strasburg, and winds in southeastern Colorado gusted to 87 mph at Lamar.
Snow and high winds created blizzard conditions in eastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Thunderstorms developing to the north of a warm front produced severe weather in Oklahoma and Texas. There were 93 reports of severe weather.
Thunderstorm winds gusted to 80 mph at Beattie, and baseball size hail was reported at Ranger and Breckenridge.
Juneau AK reported a record high temperature of 72 degrees while Honolulu equaled their record low for the month of May with a reading of 60 degrees.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Fourteen cities in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina reported record high temperatures for the date as readings soared into the 90s.
Tampa FL reported a record high of 97 degrees, and Fort Stewart, GA was the hot spot in the nation with a reading of 100 degrees.
Thunderstorms produced severe weather from northeastern Texas to western Arkansas during the evening and early nighttime hours.
Thunderstorms spawned a tornado which injured thirteen persons at Paris TX, and produced baseball size hail at Rio Vista TX.
Thunderstorm rains of four to seven inches caused flash flooding in west central Arkansas, southern and eastern Oklahoma, and northern Texas.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1999
A chilly start to May for the Sunshine State as more record lows fell by the wayside across Central and South Florida.
Tampa dropped to 52°, St. Petersburg-Clearwater fell to 56°. Both these readings were all-time record lows for May.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2002
A Roanoke, VA woman was injured by lightning while talking on the phone.(Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History)
Devastating flash flooding struck the Tug Fork River that separates Kentucky and West Virginia for the second time in ten months.
The river crested twenty feet above normal after heavy rains fell during a short time period over the mountainous region.
At least six people died in the flooding. Several counties in West Virginia were declared disaster areas.
In Fort Gay, WV, thousands were left without water after millions of gallons of coal waste spilled into the town's drinking supply, the third such occurrence in just three years.
(Ref. Wilson - Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link)

2010
The Richmond International Airport had a minimum temperature of 72 °F which was the earliest occurrence of 70 degrees or higher temperature.
The previous record of 70 degrees occurred on May 11, 1916.
This high minimum temperature record occurred during the warmest spring in Richmond, Virginia weather history.
(Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC)
Historical Record Rainfall Event For Middle TN
Nashville Flood- Torrential rains brought unprecedented flooding to Tennessee and Kentucky in early May, with 12 to 19 inches of rain.
May 1-2 shattered rainfall records and brought on a 1-in-1000-year flood.
By May 3, swollen rivers had escaped their banks in eight states from Arkansas to Ohio.
Officials evacuated downtown Nashville, Tennessee, as the Cumberland River overflowed, flooding such landmarks as the Grand Ole Opry House.
The river crested at 11.86 feet above flood stage on May 3, the highest level since 1937.
In all, flooding killed 26 people in Kentucky and Tennessee, including 11 in greater Nashville, where property damage exceeded $2 billion.
At least 11,000 structures were damaged.
Storm total rainfall at Nashville International Airport on the 2nd and 3rd reached 13.53 inches.
This surpasses the previous two day total of 6.68 inches set on 9/13 and 9/14, 1979 due to the remnants of Hurricane Frederic.
James LaRosa/Michael Davis NWS Nashville, TN
OPRYLAND, OPRY MILLS, AND GRAND OL' OPRY FLOODED
(Ref. Examiner.Com -- Nashville) (Ref. Weatherwise U.S. Weather Highlights of 2010 page 3 and 6 )

MAY
3RD

1761
Large tornadoes swept through the harbor at Charleston, SC when a British fleet of 40 sails was at anchor.
It raised a wave 12 feet high, leaving many vessels on their beam ends. Four people drowned.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1774
A major snowstorm was reported in areas from Virginia to New York.
Severe frost was reported as far south as North Carolina.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1868
A tornado traveled 15 miles across Warren and Knox Counties, northwest of Galesburg, IL.
The small town of Ionia, in Warren County, was destroyed.
16 homes and two churches in the town were leveled, along with 30 homes elsewhere.
The tornado killed six people and injured 40 others.
Many of the casualties occurred during a church service, when the church roof was torn off and dropped onto the congregation.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1882
Latest date that 32 degrees occurred (freeze) was in 1874 and 1882 at Boston, MA and in 1882 had the lowest temperature of 31 °F the lowest ever for May.
(Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events)

1895
In Sioux County, Iowa an extremely violent tornado, at times 1,000 yards wide packing winds estimated at over 250 mph moved from three miles north of Ireton to two miles southwest of Hull hitting four schools.
Two school houses several miles apart were leveled, killing teachers and students.
The teacher killed at one of the schools was the brother of the teacher killed at the other school.
Adjoining farms were also entirely destroyed with several deaths in homes.
Amazingly, school children were carried for up to a half mile with many sustaining serious injuries.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1954
Records for the month of May included: Sheridan, WY: 13° degrees, Miles City, MT: 15°, Billings, MT: 16° and Oklahoma City, OK: 32°.
The low of 28° tied the record low for the month of May at Liberal, KS.
Daily record lows included: Lewistown, MT: 16°, Cheyenne, WY: 20°, Clayton, NM: 24°, Falls City, NE: 31°, Hobart, OK: 32° °F.
Snow fell on three straight days from this date through the 5th across Lower Michigan.
Record snowfall on this date included 1.3 inches at Grand Rapids.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1955
This was the third of a four consecutive day warm spell from parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes and Mississippi Valley as temperature climbed into the 80’s and 90’s.
Locations that reported record highs for the date included: Alexandria, LA: 96°, Chicago, IL: 92°, Iron Mountain, MI: 90°-Tied, Fort Smith, AR: 90°-Tied.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1963
Richmond had a 47 °F daily temperature range on this date which was the greatest range for May.
The greatest daily range was 51 °F in January 1978.
(Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC)

1978
Persistent thunderstorms caused widespread flooding in southeastern Louisiana and extreme southeastern Mississippi.
Rainfall totals of ten to thirteen and a half inches were reported around New Orleans causing the worst flooding in thirty years.
The water depth reached three to four feet in several hundred homes, and total property damage was estimated at one hundred million dollars.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1981
Severe thunderstorms dumped 5.1 inches of rain on Keenesburg, CO in 45 minutes.
6 to 12 inches of hail piled up in Keenesburg/Hudson area with extensive damage to crops occurring.
Snowplows were needed to clear the hail off of local roads.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1982
Kanab, Utah:
Sinbad the Sailor, the horse which US President Ronald Reagan's rode in the Death Valley Days TV show, is struck by lightning and killed .(Ref. WxDoctor)

1987
Thunderstorms produced severe weather in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Softball size hail was reported at Center Point, TX, and a tornado caused three million dollars damage near Satanta, KS.
Heavy snow blanketed the foothills of eastern Colorado, with 18 inches reported at Divide.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988
Thunderstorms brought much needed rains to the drought- stricken central U.S. Evening thunderstorms produced large hail in North Carolina.
Baseball size hail was reported west of Mooresville, NC.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
A stubborn late season storm slowly crawled across southern Colorado the first three days of the month producing heavy snow from the San Juan Mountains to the southeast plains.
The storm produced up to three feet of snow in the higher elevations of southern Colorado, and 18 to 22 inches of snow along the eastern slopes of the Central Mountains of New Mexico.
Pueblo CO reported a record 10.6 inches of snow for the month as a result of the storm, and a record total for the winter season of 69.6 inches.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1994
Twenty-six reports of severe weather, including severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, large hail, funnel clouds and waterspouts occurred from the Florida Panhandle to the Keys.
The most significant event occurred in Volusia County at Ormond Beach where a tornado touched down at intersection of I-95 and Highway 40 in northern Volusia County.
Damage was estimated near $10 million dollars. The largest hail, up to 3 inches, was reported in Palm Beach County.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1999
There were 63 tornadoes in Oklahoma, making this the worst outbreak ever to strike the state.
In central Oklahoma alone, 8 individual supercell thunderstorms produced 57 tornadoes.
Bridge Creek, Moore and southern parts of the Oklahoma City Metro area were hit the hardest.
When it was near Moore, OK, a truck-mounted Doppler radar measured a wind speed of 318 mph, the highest ever observed in a tornado and close to being the first F6 ever officially recorded.
Forecasters at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK were faced with the unprecedented situation of a major tornado on the ground threatening their location.
As a major F5 tornado was approaching the Oklahoma City metro area from the southwest, the SPC notified its backup,
the Air Force Weather Agency at Offutt AFB in Omaha, NE that they might have to assume operational responsibility if the tornado approached Norman.
The storm remained several miles west of the facility but was visible from the SPC roof.
Damage from this single tornado was around one billion dollars, making it the most costly tornado in history.
Estimated damage from the entire tornado outbreak was $1.485 billion dollars, making this the most costly tornado outbreak ever.
2,314 homes were destroyed and another 7,428 were damaged.
To the north in Kansas, an F4 tornado tracked 24 miles through Sumner and Sedgwick Counties, killing 6, injuring 154, and causing $146 million in damages.
Haysville and Wichita suffered severe damage. A total of 8,480 buildings and homes were damaged or destroyed with 1,109 totally destroyed.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2001
Portland, Maine:
Maximum temperature reaches 92 °F destroying the old record of 74 °F set in 1969.
The airport station also set the warmest low and warmest average with temperatures of 57 °F and 75 °F, respectively.(Ref. WxDoctor)

2007
At Denver International Airport, lightning struck a United Airlines jet as it was pushing away from the gate.
None of the passengers were affected; but they switched planes.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2010
Great Nashville flood of May 2nd and 3rd ---
Floodwaters from many creeks and rivers have inundated literally thousands of homes and businesses.
The most famous of these is the entire Opryland complex.
The Gaylord-Opryland Hotel is flooded, Opry Mills shopping complex is flooded, and the historical Grand Ol' Opry is reportedly flooded, too.
Additionally, the floodwaters from the Cumberland have poured into the downtown area around 1st Avenue and is affecting some businesses.
It is the highest levels seen in modern times.
Reportedly, 11 people have lost their lives across Tennessee.
The Metro Transit Authority's headquarters are flooded and there will be no bus service across the city.
Additionally, the Music City Star (the rail line) Rail Cars are under water and several sections of the railway are damaged.
According to the latest information, it appears the Cumberland River will crest (in Nashville) somewhere around 51.7 feet, some 11.7 feet above flood stage.
Opryland Hotel has a foot of water in it and Briley Parkway is completely flooded between McGavock Pike and Two Rivers exit.
The entire MetroCenter area, which houses the Titan's practice facility among other businesses, has been evacuated.
Nashville mayor, Karl Dean, is calling for residents to curtail use of water as much as possible.
Use water only for food preparation and drinking only as a water treatment facility across Davidson County is inoperable.
(Ref. Examiner.Com -- Nashville) (Ref. Map of rainfall amounts)

MAY
4TH1774
TR. OF SNOW AT MT. VERNON- MOST GARDEN PLANTS FROZE ON 5TH
Snow was reported in the Williamsburg Gazette to have fallen in Dumfries, Va.
George Washington's at Mount Vernon, logged in his diary a cold day with spits of snow and a hard wind from the northwest.
Thomas Jefferson near Charlottesville observed the Blue Ridge Mountains covered with snow.
The late-season snow and frost killed most of the fruit crop in the northern part of the state.
(Ref. Virginia Weather History)1812
A storm produced snow from Philadelphia to Maine. A foot of snow fell near Keene NH, and in Massachusetts, nine inches fell at Waltham, located near Boston.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1961
At least 10 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma, including a large tornado near Cheyenne that was observed from many surrounding communities.
One person was killed and more than 20 farmsteads were severely damaged or destroyed by a tornado that tracked from just west of Geary, to south of Kingfisher.
One farmstead was struck by two tornadoes within 5 minutes.
This tornado outbreak occurred exactly one year after an outbreak that produced a dozen tornadoes across Oklahoma on May 4th, 1960.
A multiple vortex tornado struck Trombe d'Evereau, France killing one person and injuring 100 others along a five mile path.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1977
A tornado 500 yards in width struck Pleasant Hill, MO severely damaging the high school and grade school.
Only minor injuries were reported among the more than 1000 teachers and students due to excellent warnings and prior tornado drills.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1978
An F3 tornado moved in from the Gulf of Mexico and tore a path of devastation through the High Point section of Pinellas County in Florida.
The path length was only 1.5 miles but three people were killed, 94 others were injured, and damage totaled $43 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the southeastern U.S., with South Carolina hardest hit.
Thunderstorm winds toppled trees seventy feet high in Spartanburg County, SC, and knocked homes off their foundations near Bishopville, SC.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988
Thunderstorms produced large hail in North Carolina, but brought welcome rains to much of the rest of the eastern U.S.
Residents of New England finally saw sunshine after about a week of clouds and rain.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the Southern Plains Region and the Lower Mississippi Valley.
Thunderstorms spawned fifteen tornadoes, and there were 340 reports of large hail and damaging winds.
Hail three inches in diameter, and 9.39 inches of rain, resulted in more than 130 million dollars damage at Monroe LA.
Thunderstorm winds gusted to 100 mph at Epps, LA and Fort Worth, TX.
A thunderstorm north of Mineral Wells TX produced high winds that unroofed a nightclub, turning it into a "topless club".
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
May 4-5, ----- "The Texas Derecho of 1989" States affected ....TX, OK, LA
(Ref. For More Information)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather from the Lower Ohio Valley to Virginia and the Carolinas.
A tornado at Augusta Springs VA killed two people and injured ten others, and another tornado caused 1.7 million dollars damage at Colonial Heights VA.
Temperatures soared into the 90s in northern California. The high of 98 degrees in downtown Sacramento was their hottest reading of record for so early in the season.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1996
Partlow, Spotsylvania County, VA a man was injured when lightning struck a tree near the porch where he was standing.
He went into shock but remained conscious. Another lightning strike started a fire in an abandoned trailer. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History)
Golf ball size hail caused significant crop damage across northern Manatee and southern Hillsborough counties in Florida.
77% of the tomato crop and 90% to 100% of the cucumber, bell pepper, and green bean crop were severely damaged or destroyed.
Losses were estimated at over $18 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2002
Road signs and four power poles were blown down when a tornado crossed Highway 350 in West Texas.
The most intense activity was across the eastern basin where three supercell storms moved parallel to Interstate 20 producing large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes.
Two tornadoes were observed in northern Mitchell County just before midnight along with hail to the size of baseballs. Damage was estimated at $100,000 dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
The week of May 4th through the 10th was one of the most active week of tornadoes in U.S. history.
On this date through the 5th, the deadliest outbreak of severe weather since May 1999 produced 84 tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds across eight states.
Several thunderstorms became tornadic with a total of five distinct tornado touchdowns in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Two of the tornadoes received a rating of F4, two a rating of F2, and the last was rated was rated F1.
Total damage exceeded 144 million dollars.
Several of the tornadoes tracked long distances ranging from 15 to 80 miles.
More than 3000 homes and businesses were damaged.
At least 38 people were killed in Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2007
Greensburg, Kansas:
A devastating EF5 twister demolishes nearly every structure in Greensburg around 9:30 pm (CDT) and kills ten.
The mammoth wedge tornado cuts a swath 1.7 miles (2.7 km) wide and 22 miles (35 km) long across the Kansas landscape.
It is the worst single tornado to touch down in the US in eight years. (Ref. Wx. Doctor)

MAY
5TH

1834
A group of tornadoes in Virginia killed three people.
The twisters carved a path from near Victoria to south of Petersburg to just south of the James River.
The damage path was reportedly one mile wide in places.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1917
The same storm that a day earlier produced eight inches of snow in the Texas Panhandle produced a foot of snow at Denver CO, its heaviest snow of record for the month of May.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1961
19 tornadoes touched down leaving more than 30 people dead in eastern Oklahoma.
Hardest hit was the town of Wilburton, where 13 people were killed, and over 800 homes and buildings were either damaged or destroyed.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1975
Heavy rains totaled 2 to 5 inches in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota flooding many streams.
Higher elevations such as the Lead area received over a foot of snow.
Rapid City narrowly missed being struck by a tornado as the storm's damage path began about two miles east of Rapid City.
The Rapid City airport did report a gust of 53 mph with Ellsworth Air Force Base receiving a gust to 70 mph.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1978
Heavy wet snow of around 24 inches collapsed an office and hotel in Boulder, CO.
Many cars were abandoned across the city.
Denver received 14 inches with Evergreen and Golden receiving a foot.
Snowfall totaled 12.4 inches at Stapleton Airport in Denver, CO and 7.2 inches at Cheyenne, WY.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1981
Mobile, AL had its worst flash flooding ever as thunderstorms unloaded 8 to 16 inches of rain over the metro area in a couple of hours.
Damage totaled $36 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1982
Severe flash flooding hit parts of southwest Oklahoma and the western parts of North Texas.
The hardest hit area was around Lawton, where 4 to 5 inches of rain fell in just 90 minutes.
The weight of the heavy rain caused the roof of a shopping mall to collapse, killing one person and injuring two others.
Flooding also occurred in north Texas, where several roads in Wichita, Clay, and Archer Counties were closed by high water that spilled over the banks of area creeks.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Unseasonably hot weather prevailed in the western U.S. A dozen cities in California reported record high temperatures for the date.
Afternoon highs of 93 degrees at San Francisco, 98 degrees at San Jose, 100 degrees at Sacramento, and 101 degrees at Redding were the warmest of record for so early in the season.
The high of 94 degrees at Medford, OR was also the warmest of record for so early in the season.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)
Parts of the western U.S. were in the midst of a blistering May heat wave.
The reading of 100 degrees in Downtown Sacramento, CA was their earliest of record.
Sacramento CA established daily record highs on nine of eleven days between the 4th and the 14th.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1988
A stubborn low-pressure system continued to drench the eastern U.S. with rain.
Thunderstorms again produced large hail in North Carolina.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1989
Annandale, Virginia had 3.36 inches rain in 24 hours.
(Ref. Annandale Weather Records - KDCA)
Thunderstorms swept across Georgia and the Carolinas during the late afternoon and evening hours spawning seventeen tornadoes.
A tornado at Toccoa, GA injured 15 persons, and a tornado at Chesnee, SC killed two persons and injured 35 others.
Five tornadoes in North Carolina accounted for five deaths, 88 injuries, and sixty million dollars damage.
Thunderstorms also produced baseball size hail at Lake Murray, SC, and wind gusts to 78 mph at Brooklyn MD.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
A strong Pacific cold front moving rapidly inland caused weather conditions at the east end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington State
to quickly change from sunny and calm to westerly winds of 60 mph and ten-foot waves.
Three recreational fishing boats capsized in heavy seas off Port Angeles resulting in five deaths. In California, temperatures soared above 90 degrees across much of the state.
The high of 101 degrees in downtown Los Angeles was eight degrees hotter than their previous record for the date.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

2002
On a scary note, a convoy of experienced storm chasers, including Matt Sellers and Shane Adams,
had a near-miss with a tornado which touched down nearly on top of them near Lakeview, TX as they were following the storm that had earlier struck the town of Happy.
No chasers were injured during the encounter, but several had damage to their vehicles. In addition,
the University of Massachusetts 10-centimeter Mobile Doppler Radar was entangled in downed power lines near Lakeview.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
Central United States on the 4th and 5th:
The deadliest outbreak of severe weather since May 1999 produces 84 tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds across eight states.
At least 38 people are killed in Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee. (Ref. WxDoctor)
Lightning followed an iron sewer line and jumped to a copper gas pipe in the crawl space under the home in Conyers, Georgia; the house caught on fire.
Sadly, the 95-year-old resident of the home (her birthday was the next day) was overcome by smoke while fleeing and died.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2012 Accord Pub. 2011, USA)

2007
A large upper low pressure area over the southwest United States spun off a strong upper level trough into the northern plains.
This trough lifting over the region along with a north to south frontal boundary, powerful low level winds,
and abundant gulf moisture resulted in training thunderstorms across parts of central and northeast South Dakota.
The training thunderstorms produced torrential rains from 3 to over 10 inches resulting in widespread flash flooding across Brown, Buffalo, Hand, Spink, Clark, Day, Marshall, and Roberts Counties.
The counties of Brown, Buffalo, Clark, Day, Marshall, and Spink were declared disaster areas by President Bush.
The Governor also declared a state of emergency for the flooded counties.
Aberdeen received the most extensive damage, especially the north side of Aberdeen. 75% percent of the homes in Aberdeen received some water in their basements.
Many homes had basement walls collapse. The overwhelming load on the drainage systems caused sewage to back up into many homes across the region.
Countless homes were condemned across the region with many considered unlivable.
Thousands of acres of crops were also flooded and damaged with many seeds and large quantities of fertilizer washed away.
Locations with 6 or more inches of rain included, 6 inches in Langford, 6.33 inches in Gann Valley, 6.72 inches in Clark, 7.41 inches in Ashton, 7.49 inches in Stratford,
7.55 inches near Mellette, 7.97 inches in Aberdeen, 8.02 inches in Redfield, 8.73 inches in Columbia, and 8.74 inches in Groton.
The 8.74 inches of rainfall in Groton set a new 24 hour state rainfall record. Adding in the rainfall for the previous day, Aberdeen received a total of 9.00 inches;
Columbia received a total of 10.19 inches; Groton received an astonishing two day total rainfall of 10.74 inches.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1876
A tornado, estimated at F3 intensity, tracked four miles across Chicago, IL.
The damaged buildings included a candy factory, a hospital, a freight depot, and a church.
The tornado moved out over Lake Michigan, and was observed by a reporter to have multiple vortices.
Further south in Illinois, a tornado blew a moving passenger train off the tracks near Neoga, injuring all 19 people aboard.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)1891
TRACE OF SNOW RECORDED IN BALTIMORE, LATEST IN EARLY RECORDS

1900
“The Day of the Cyclones”.
A tornado moved south, passing five miles west of Jetmore, KS picking up a small home and smashing it to the ground, killing a woman.
Cattle were carried 200 yards. At least 15, perhaps over 25, tornadoes touched down in Kansas this day.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1930
An F4 tornado tracked through Hill, Navarro, and Ellis counties in Texas. The town of Frost was completely destroyed.
41 people lost their lives and 200 were injured. Total damage exceeded $1 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1933
Charleston SC was deluged with 10.57 inches of rain, an all-time 24 hour record for that location.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1937
Lakehurst, New Jersey:
The Hindenburg Disaster; Could it be that weather was to blame for infamous Zeppelin fire?
Thunderstorms reported in area delay docking for two hours .(Ref. WxDoctor)

1967
It was a busy Saturday night at the GES Department store near the Alabama State Fairgrounds in the West End section of Birmingham.
The store was filled with shoppers about 7 PM when a store manager saw a tornado approaching.
He yelled for customers to get down seconds before the twister struck the store.
One woman was killed nearby when she was struck by a board from a nearby lumber yard as she watched the tornado from her daughter's front porch.
25 people were injured along the F2 tornado's four mile path.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1975
A massive tornado hit Omaha NE killing three persons, injuring 133 others, and causing 150 million dollars damage.
The tornado struck during the late afternoon moving northeastward through the industrial and residential areas of west central Omaha, and lifting over the northern section of the city.
The twister, which cut a swath ten miles long and as much as a quarter of a mile wide, was the mostly costly in U.S. history up till that time.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1978
Estes Park, County recorded 32 inches of snow, Boulder had 25 inches, 20 inches piled up at Colorado Springs, and Denver checked in with 14 inches for their greatest May snowstorm on record.
Cheyenne, WY received 11.1 inches of snow and a total storm total of 18.3 inches; their greatest May snowstorm on record.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1984
Two men standing in a boat on Sheridan Lake in South Dakota were killed when lightning struck the boat.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1985
Severe thunderstorms developed over parts of northwest Oklahoma. Hail up to baseball size fell just northeast of Gage, and golf ball size hail was common.
A tornado was spotted near Tangier, in Woodward County. Flooding of many low lying areas occurred after six inches of rain fell from the storms.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Eighteen cities in California and Oregon reported record high temperatures for the date.
Highs of 91 degrees at Portland, OR, 101 degrees at Medford, OR, and 104 degrees at Sacramento, CA were the warmest of record for so early in the season.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1988
A major storm brought high winds to the western half of the country.
A wind gust of 74 mph at Pueblo CO broke their May record established just four days earlier, and winds in the Arapahoe Ski Basin area of Colorado reached 85 mph.
In North Dakota, the high winds reduced visibilities to near zero in blowing dust closing many roads.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Sixteen cities in the north central U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date. Morning lows of 17 at Bismarck ND and 26 at Minneapolis MN were the coldest of record for so late in the season.
A reading of 43 degrees at the start of the Kentucky Derby was the coldest in 115 years of records. Light snow was reported in the Upper Midwest, with an inch reported at Chicago IL.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)(Ref. Wilson Wx. For Additional Temperature Records)

1999
Orlando, Florida:
Double record day in Orlando. High temperature reaches 94 °F and late day cloudburst dumps short-period record rainfall of 1.21 inches of rain.(Ref. WxDoctor)

2001
The high temperature in Death Valley National Park, CA reached 100°.
This began a record streak of 154 consecutive days with the high temperature reaching 100 degrees or hotter.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
A violent tornado, with estimated wind speeds up to 210 mph, tracked across the southern tip of Illinois.
The tornado touched down near Grand Chain in Pulaski County, moving east to near Joppa in Massac County, before curving northeast and lifting near Golconda in Pope County, a total of 33 miles and 1 hour 10 minutes later.
Two people were killed and 33 injured.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
What a story to tell! A family in Jackson, Missouri safely reached their basement as an F3 tornado passed.
However, above them a baseball size hail bounced off the kitchen floor of their unroofed home, and a small sports car landed in their living room.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2012 Accord Pub. 2011, USA)

2008
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has confirmed a small earthquake (or microquake) measuring 1.8 on the Richter scale occurred in Annandale, Va. at 1:30 p.m.
Weak to light shaking from the quake could be felt throughout eastern Northern Virginia (mainly Fairfax County) and small parts of the District and Maryland.
The quake location was 2 km (1 mile) WSW (250 degrees) of Annandale, VA.
I was about two miles from the epicenter and was kneeling on the cement patio and heard what sounded like a distant explosion and in about two seconds I felt the ground shake.
It was much like a strong but distant cloud to ground lightning strike.
(Ref. The Washington, Post and L. Koontz)

2014
2014 has averaged 29.5 degrees through May 6th, which is the 7th coldest in 143 years.
This Spring (since March 1) has averaged 40.5 degrees, which is the coldest in 18 years.
No wonder we're so ready for warm weather.
There are still forsythia, daffodils, and tulips blooming here but the trees are only about 25% green STILL.
(Ref. Meteorologist Tom Skilling, Chicago, IL)

MAY
7TH1840
A powerful tornado wrecked many boats at the Natchez Landing in Mississippi then plowed through the city on the bluff.
The tornado killed 317 persons and caused a million dollars damage. The force of the storm caused houses to burst open.
The tornado was one of the most deadly and destructive in early American history.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1927
Two massive F5 tornadoes combined for a 95 mile path of destruction through Comanche, Barber, Kingman, Reno, and McPherson Counties in Kansas.
The death toll was 10 and 300 were injured. Damage was set at $1.3 million dollars. The tornado’s path width reached two miles at one point.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1930
Record Maximum temperature for Washington, DC for the date is 95 °F - Peak of early May heat wave was 95 °F, very warm from 5th-11th.
(Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA)

1964
The temperature at White Mountain 2, located in California, dipped to 15 degrees below zero to set a record for May for the continental U.S.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1975
St. Johns County, Fla.--Lightning struck and killed a 68-year-old man at the Guana Dam fishing pier.
The victim was wearing a metal hardhat such as those worn by construction workers.(Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf)

1987
Thirty-one cities in the western U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date.
Highs of 93 degrees at Portland, OR and San Jose, CA were the warmest of record for so early in the season.
The high of 92 degrees at Quillayute, WA was a record for the month of May.
The temperature at Sacramento CA reached 105 degrees.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1988
A powerful storm in the north central U.S. produced up to three feet of snow in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming and the mountains of south central Montana.
Up to five inches of rain drenched central Montana in less than 24 hours, and flash flooding in Wyoming caused a million dollars damage.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1989
Thirty-two cities in the central and eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date, and 24 hour snowfall totals of 7.2 inches at Buffalo
NY and 10.7 inches at Rochester NY were records for the month of May.
While northerly winds ushered unseasonably cold air into the eastern U.S., temperatures warmed rapidly in the Great Plains Region, reaching the 90s in Kansas.
The temperature at Manhattan, KS soared from a low of 30 degrees to a high of 88 degrees.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
Death Valley National Park recorded a high temperature of 114° setting a daily record.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1990
Gale force winds lashed the northern and central Pacific coast. A wind gust of 52 mph at Eureka CA established a record for the month of May.
Strong winds over northeastern Colorado, associated with a fast moving Pacific cold front, gusted to 63 mph at Peetz.
Snow developed over the northwest mountains of Wyoming late in the day, and Yellowstone National Park was whitened with 6 to 14 inches.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1993
Serious flooding occurred in central Oklahoma following torrential rain and hail on this date through the 8th. Rainfall amounts on this date were generally around one inch.
Oklahoma City, OK then recorded 6.64 inches of rain on the 8th, the third greatest daily rainfall amount ever observed in the city.
Extensive flooding resulted, which killed four people, and the fire department had to rescue 183 others.
More than 2,000 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed, and damages were estimated at $8 million.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
A Stronger than in most tornadoes! Downburst winds of 125 mph caused havoc in Brookings, SD.
The severe thunderstorm-induced winds destroyed 16 vehicles, 15 garages, 5 mobile homes, 1 apartment building, and damaged many other homes and vehicles - 12 with minor injuries.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA)

1995
Severe thunderstorms struck Aurora, CO. Hailed piled 4 to 5 inches deep in the vicinity of Quincy Reservoir in south Aurora.
Lightning struck an Aurora Police Communications Tower causing significant malfunction to the primary system.
Minor damage was sustained when lightning struck an apartment building. Hail up to 1.25 inches in diameter accumulated 6 inches deep in just 15 minutes.
Many streets were closed for an hour or more due to flooding caused by heavy rain and melting hail. Some trees were stripped of their leaves.
An F3 tornado cut a 34 mile path across Love and Carter Counties in south central Oklahoma, while on the ground for over an hour killing three people and doing over $100 million dollars in damages; $75 million in Ardmore alone.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2000
The Stickleman family of Brady, NE had their own tornado early warning system.
Their English Setter, Champ, headed for the basement anytime severe weather threatened.
On this date, the dog headed for the basement and stayed until a tornado appeared on the horizon.
The tornado destroyed their farmhouse as the family took shelter with Champ in the basement.
Animals do seem to have a special ability to sense approaching bad weather.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
An afternoon of heavy rain caused flooding in the Birmingham, AL area.
Persistent thunderstorms dumped 5.71 inches on the airport over a six hour period during the afternoon and early evening, but the heaviest rainfall total came from Trussville, on the northeast side of Birmingham, where over 9 inches fell.
Flooding was severe from Fultondale to Roebuck to the Trussville area, where water entered several businesses and overran the waste water treatment plant, dumping raw sewage into the Cahaba River.
This date marked the first day of a three-day barrage of tornadic thunderstorms over Oklahoma.
The first tornadoes occurred over southwest and south central Oklahoma during the late evening into the overnight hours.
The strongest tornadoes with this initial activity were rated as F2, and they occurred in the Cornish, Overbrook, and Antioch areas of extreme south central Oklahoma.
Although there was over $250,000 in damage, no injuries or fatalities were reported.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2008
Casper, Wyoming,:
In mid-afternoon, a tornado touches down on the south side of Casper, reportedly lifting a car but causes no injury damage.(Ref. Wx. Doctor)

2017
Canaan Snow Pics Sunday 07, 2017
A few inches of snow in the high elevations of central West Virginia about 3000 feet on Sunday morning, May 7, 2017.
There was drifting of the powdery snow above 4,000 feet this Sunday am!
This snowfall occurred during the night of May 6-7th, 2017.
from Josh in West Virginia. See Pictures
Picture 1Picture 2Picture 3Picture 4Picture 5

1784
Winnsborough, South Carolina:
Deadly hailstorm in South Carolina hits the town of Winnsborough.
The hailstones, measuring as much as nine inches in circumference, killed several persons, and a great number of sheep, lambs and birds.(Ref. Wx. Doctor)

(Ref. David Ludlum)1803
Snow was observed around Washington, DC. area.
(Ref. Virginia Weather History)
A freak spring storm produced heavy snow from southern Indiana to New England.
The storm made sleighing possible in Massachusetts but also ruined shade trees in Philadelphia.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1840
Natchez, Mississippi:
May 7-8th one of the most deadly tornado in US history strikes Natchez and Natchez Landing on the Mississippi, killing 317.(Ref. Wx. Doctor)

1874
A deadly hailstorm in South Carolina hit the town of Winnsborough.
The hailstones, measuring as much as nine inches in circumference, killed several persons, and a great number of sheep, lambs and birds.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1917
Richmond, VA had a high temperature for the day of 47 °F making it the coolest May day on record (records since 1897).
(Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC)

1965
A strong cold front helped produce a major tornado outbreak across central and eastern Nebraska and South Dakota.
Four people were killed in Nebraska in an F4 tornado. An F5 tornado hit southern South Dakota.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1977
A strong cold front helped produce a major tornado outbreak across central and eastern Nebraska and South Dakota.
Four people were killed in Nebraska in an F4 tornado. An F5 tornado hit southern South Dakota.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1979
Widespread damage occurred in the Tampa Bay area. The 19 tornadoes reported are the most in one day in Florida history.
Three people drowned in Pinellas County where flooding was most severe.
Rainfall amounts of 18 inches in 24 hours were reported with 12.73 inches falling at Tampa, FL; with 7.84 inches of that in just six hours.
Worst hit was the Polk County community of Auburndale where a tornado made a direct hit on the Auburndale School.
Only eight students were hurt by flying debris.
An 83 year old woman was killed as she hid in an unreinforced concrete block storage shed.
98 trailers were damaged or destroyed and 40 people were injured.
Las Vegas, NV recorded a high temperature of 60°. This was the coldest high temperature ever in May.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
An F2 tornado hit the Auburndale, FL, Senior, Junior, and Middle School complex;
its 2,400 students had been moved into hallways just prior to the storm’s arrival.
$1,500,000 damage to the complex; only 8 students hurt by flying debris.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA)

1987
Twenty-eight cities in the northwestern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date.
The record high of 95 degrees at Redding CA was their fifth in a row, and the record high of 102 degrees at Hanover WA was just one degree shy of their record for May.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1988
Thunderstorms in the Mississippi Valley spawned a total of 57 tornadoes, including 24 in Wisconsin, and a record 22 tornadoes in one day in Iowa.
There were also more than 200 reports of large hail and damaging winds.
Baseball size hail was reported at Terre Bonne, Mo. At Rockford IL one person was temporarily trapped inside a portable toilet toppled by thunderstorm winds gusting to 80 mph.
Fortunately, not a single person was killed in the "Mother's Day" tornado outbreak.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Beginning the previous day ending on this date, a late season snowstorm dropped up to 12 inches of snow across the western southern tier, Niagara Frontier and the Finger Lakes area in western New York State.
At Buffalo, close to 8 inches was recorded while at Rochester just over 10 inches fell. The snowfall established many new weather records for both cities.
The heavy, wet snow downed power lines and trees which took down more power lines when they fell. As lines fell, power poles were snapped.
Some roofs collapsed from the weight of the snow. Behind the storm, an upper level trough combined with chilly high pressure brought many record lows across the eastern U.S. Lows of 28° at Asheville, NC and 31° at Greer, SC were records for May.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
Twenty-one cities in the eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date. Lows of 28 degrees at Asheville NC and 31 degrees at Greer SC were records for May.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather in northwestern and north central Kansas during the evening and night.
Thunderstorms produced hail three inches in diameter at Brewster, and wind gusts to 92 mph south of Wakeeney.
Thunderstorms over northwest Iowa deluged the town of Boone with five inches of rain flooding basements and leaving some areas under four feet of water.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1992
A vigorous upper level low pressure system stalled out over the Carolinas for the previous three days unloaded tremendous amounts of snow over the western North Carolina Mountains above 4,000 feet.
Mt. Pisgah, elevation 5,721 feet, recorded an incredible 60 inches over the 3-day period, tying the all-time single storm snowfall record for the state.
Mt. Mitchell, elevation 6,684 feet, was buried under 30 inches of very wet snow.
On the previous day, the Greenville-Spartanburg Weather Service Office in Greer, SC had snow mixed with rain, making this the latest date and the first time in May that snow had fallen at this location.
Behind the storm record lows were set in Florida including Tallahassee, FL: 38°, Gainesville, FL: 42°, Jacksonville, FL: 45°, Daytona Beach: 45°, Orlando, FL: 48°, Vero Beach, FL: 48°, Tampa, FL: 49° and West Palm Beach, FL: 51°.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1995
Thunderstorms with torrential rains struck the New Orleans, LA area. Audubon Park recorded 8.5 inches of rain in only two hours. Several locations had over 14 inches total ending early the next day.
Five people were killed in the flooding and damage exceeded one billion dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1999
A hailstorm at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida damaged the external fuel tank of the Space Shuttle Discovery.
The 15 story tank suffered 150 dents. The scheduled launch of the Shuttle had to be delayed so that the vehicle could be rolled back to the hanger for repairs.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
This was the second of three consecutive days with strong to violent tornadoes around Oklahoma City.
A violent F4 tornado that affected Moore, Oklahoma City, Midwest City, and Choctaw took on a path very similar to the 5/3/1999 devastating tornado.
This particular tornado back in 2003 affected areas from Newcastle and Moore, to Del City and Choctaw.
Although over 130 people were injured, there were no fatalities.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2009
Carbondale, Illinois:
A deadly derecho squall line rakes far southern Illinois at midday devastating the Carbondale area on its way across a 1,200-mile swath of terrain covering sections of nine states.
Hundreds of homes and businesses are damaged or destroyed in Kansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri.
The wind gusts to 106 mph (170 km/h) in the Carbondale area with sustained winds measured at up to 90 mph.
In southern Illinois, the storm system peels siding and roofs off homes and other buildings, blowing out car windows and tearing up trailer parks.(Ref. WxDoctor)
"The 'Super Derecho' of May 2009" States Affected ....KS, MO, AR, IL, IN, KY, TN, VA, WV, NC
(Ref. For More Information)

MAY
9th

1894
Portland, OR had its latest freeze when the temperature fell to 32°. This is the only May freeze in Portland's history.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1918
An F4 tornado moved across Floyd, Chickasaw, and Winneshiek Counties in northeast Iowa from two miles north of Pearl Rock to Calmar.
Two people died just east of Calmar, when the tornado was a mile wide. Losses in and near Calmar totaled $250,000. Overall, this tornado killed 7 people and injured 15 others.
An F3 tornado initially touched down a mile south of Pachard, IA then moved east northeast into Chickasaw County, Iowa and dissipated three miles east of Pearl Rock.
A woman was killed there when a dozen homes were damaged. As many as 30 people hid in a single cellar.
Overall, it killed one person, injured 5 other, and caused $50,000 dollars in property damage.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1927
A major tornado outbreak occurred from Texas to Michigan.
There were 28 tornadoes rated F2 or greater. Nine separate tornadoes killed five or more people.
A tornado touched down 5 miles east of Morrisonville, IL, then moved northeast to Decatur.
In Christian County, the tornado killed one person and caused 67 injuries.
The tornado widened in the Decatur area, did minor damage to over 1,000 homes, and injured 50 people.
Popular Bluff, MO was devastated by an F4 tornado.
98 people were killed and 300 were injured. 31 business and residential blocks were destroyed in the city.
Strong, AR was leveled by another F4 tornado with 24 people killed. St. Louis, MO reported a wind gust of 75 mph.
Behind the storm, Chadron, NE reported two inches of snow.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1933
A tornado causing F4 damage moved through Monroe, Cumberland, and Russell Counties in Kentucky along a 60-mile path.
The town of Tompkinsville, KY was the hardest hit with 18 people killed. Overall, 36 people lost their lives.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1947
The record Minimum temperature for Washington, DC for the date is 34 °F.
(Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA)

1956
The record Minimum temperature for May in Richmond, VA is 31 °F.
(Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC)

1959
An outbreak of tornadoes occurred in central and eastern Oklahoma with more than 10 tornadoes.
The most significant tornado, an F4, touched down near Harden City in Pontotoc County, and produced a path of devastation before lifting north of Stonewall.
Seven people were killed and another 12 injured by the twister.
Many head of cattle were killed and 20 oil derricks north of Harden City were destroyed.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1963
The record Maximum temperature for Washington, DC for the date is 96 °F.
(Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA)

1964
A supercell thunderstorm formed over eastern Greer County, in southwest Oklahoma.
This storm then proceeded to drop hail larger than baseballs along its entire 135 mile path into the south central parts of the state.
The damage was enormous. An Air Force plane that flew into the storm near Cooperton, in Kiowa County, disintegrated and crashed due to the barrage of hail, killing six people.
Large hail damaged every roof in the community of Fletcher, just northeast of Fort Sill.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1966
Record snows fell in the northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, including 3.1 inches at Pittsburgh PA and 5.4 inches at Youngstown OH.
Snow also extended across parts of New York State with eight inches reported in the southern Adirondacks.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1977
A late season snowstorm hit parts of Pennsylvania, New York State, and southern and central New England.
Heavier snowfall totals included 27 inches at Slide Mountain, NY and 20 inches at Norwalk, CT. At Boston it was the first May snow in 107 years of records.
The heavy wet snow caused extensive damage to trees and power lines.
The homes of half a million persons were without power following the storm. (9th-10th)
(Ref. David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)

1979
A heat wave occurred across the east coast: Notable afternoon highs included 95° at Boston, MA and 94° at New York City.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1985
Lightning struck some trees about 150 yards away from a home in Alabama and followed the driveway to the home.
The charge went through the house and burned all the electrical outlets, ruined appliances, and blasted a hole in the concrete floor of the basement.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1986
Strong thunderstorms produced high winds and copious rainfall amounts in eastern South Dakota.
Rainfall amounts were more impressive as 2 to 4 inches of rain were common over much of eastern South Dakota including a 7.5 inch total at Redfield.
The heavy rainfall caused extensive flooding, with Walworth and Potter counties reporting the most damage.
In Lyman County, a dam on Lake Byre broke leaving water waist deep in the town of Kennebec.
7 inches of rain in three hours caused severe flooding in Des Moines, IA.
The flooding damaged 530 homes and did $16 million dollars in damage.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Unseasonably warm weather spread from the Pacific Northwest to the Upper Mississippi Valley.
Fifteen cities reported record high temperatures for the date. It was the fourth day of record warmth for Eugene, OR and Salem, OR.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)
Lightning killed two men standing under a tree on a golf course in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Two people who did not go under the tree were not injured.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1988
A massive cyclone in the central U.S. produced severe thunderstorms from eastern Texas to the Upper Ohio Valley. A strong (F-3) tornado ripped through
Middleboro, KY causing more than 22 million dollars damage.
Thunderstorms in east central Texas produced hail three and a half inches in diameter at Groesbeck and near Fairfield.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front in the south central U.S. produced golf ball size hail and wind gusts to 62 mph at Mira LA,
and during the morning hours drenched Stuttgart, AR with five inches of rain.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the central U.S. during the evening hours, mainly from southeastern Missouri to southwestern Indiana.
Severe thunderstorms spawned four tornadoes, including two strong (F-2) tornadoes in southern Illinois.
Strong thunderstorm winds gusted to 85 mph at Orient IL and to 100 mph at West Salem.
Thunderstorms drenched northeastern Illinois with up to 4.50 inches of rain.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
22.4 inches of snow fell at Marquette, MI after temperatures the day before were in the 70s.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
Minus 7 °F in Pine Valley Bailey Ranch (between Carlin and Eureka) set NV’s all-time May coldest temperature record by an astounding 10 degrees.
The p.m. high temperature was 53 – a rebound of 60 degrees.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA)

1995
A 7-year-old girl was killed when a lightning bolt directly struck her as she played softball in a park at Lighthouse Point in Broward County, Florida.
The thunderstorm was about 5 miles northwest of the park when the lightning struck in the midst of 10 children and coaches. The park is surrounded by trees.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1996
In western Kansas, hail and wind cut a path 2 miles wide along highway 96 across all of Lane County.
Hail was piled 6 inches deep and was visible for several days.
Property damage across the county was more than $2.5 million dollars.
Siding was extensively damaged on many homes, roofs were damaged, and trees had the bark stripped off. Eight power poles were broken along highway 96.
Also in western Kansas, an 8 mile wide area of hail and wind moved across Ness County along and near highway 96.
Golf ball size hail and 80 mph winds were produced by a vicious thunderstorm that moved all the way from Scott County during the late evening hours.
Damage across the county topped $1 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1880
A tornado estimated to be F4 intensity moved across 20 miles of Scott and Morgan Counties in central Illinois.
The tornado touched down near Alsey and moved northeast, passing 8 miles south of Jacksonville.
The tornado was strongest in the Pisgah area, where 30 buildings were destroyed. Seven people were killed.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1905
A deadly tornado hit the town of Snyder OK killing 87 persons. The tornado leveled 100 homes in Snyder and destroyed many others.
The large and violent tornado killed a total of 97 persons along its 40 miles path across southwestern Oklahoma. Its roar could reportedly be heard up to twelve miles away.
(Ref. David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)

1906
LATEST SNOW ON RECORD at the Washington Weather Bureau Office It snowed for 33 minutes and the temperature reached 79 °F the next day.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1943
A late season snowstorm struck New England with up to 3 feet of heavy wet snow reported in parts of New Hampshire.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1953
Four F4 tornadoes touched down in parts of eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
One F4 tornado moved northeast from northeast of Fountain City, WI to Colburn, WI. Total damage from this tornado was $1 million dollars and it caused 10 injuries.
The second F4 tornado moved from 5 miles southwest of Chester, IA to 4 miles northeast of Chatfield, MN.
One man was killed as his barn was destroyed one mile southeast of Wykoff. A rural school was leveled 3 miles south of Chatfield as well.
The third F4 tornado moved northeast and passed about 2 miles northwest of St. Charles, MN. Farms were torn up all along the track.
An infant was killed and 4 other people were injured in a car that was thrown 100 feet. Overall this tornado killed one person and injured 11 people.
The final F4 tornado moved across Rusk, Price, and Taylor counties in Wisconsin. Over $150,000 worth of damage resulted.
An F3 tornado moved northeast across Clayton County, Iowa. At least 60 head of cattle were killed. A farmer was carried 700 feet, but suffered only minor injures.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1966
Morning lows of 21 degrees at Bloomington-Normal IL and Aurora IL established a state record for the month of May.
Snow flurries were reported at Fort Wayne, IN, Kansas City, MO and Chicago, IL.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1970
A very powerful tornado struck the city of Lubbock, TX, killing 26 people, injuring more than 500 others, and causing $135 million dollars damage.
It was the most destructive tornado of record up until that time, and came on the 17th anniversary of the twister which struck Waco, TX killing 114 people.
A second tornado killed two others people in Lubbock, and the two tornadoes damaged or destroyed nearly a quarter of the city.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1977
On May 9th and 10th Boston, MA had 0.5 inches of snow the most in 24 hours for May and heavy snow over the interior MA.
(Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events)
This storm, which began on the 9th, was an elevation storm. 20 inches of snow fell at Norfolk, CT (elevation 1,337 feet) while downtown Hartford received only 1.2 inches.
The highest total occurred at Slide Mountain, NY (elevation 2,600 feet) with 26 inches falling. Extensive damage to trees and power lines occurred with 500,000 people without power following the storm.
This was the first May snow in 107 years of records at Boston, MA although only 0.5 inches fell there. However, in the nearby suburb of Bedford, 9.5 inches fell.
Worcester, MA recorded 12.7 inches, the Blue Hill Observatory in Milton, MA measured 7.8 inches, and Providence, RI had 7 inches.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1982
An F3 tornado was first sighted six miles west of Tintah, MN.
Two farms sites were damaged west of Tintah.
Nearly one dozen farm buildings were destroyed and 50 cows were killed.
Hail as large as softballs preceded the tornado into Tintah where there was extensive damage.
A school and church received heavy damage, two railroad cars were overturned, homes and grain buildings were damaged and utility poles and trees were up rooted.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Summer-like "Father's Day" type weather prevailed in the north central and western U.S. for "Mother's Day", as seventeen cities reported record high temperatures for the date.
Jamestown ND soared to a record high of 96 degrees.
Thunderstorms along the Central Gulf Coast deluged Lillian, AL with 14.5 inches of rain, and nearby Perdido Key, FL with 12.8 inches of rain.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988
Thunderstorms produced hail and high winds over the Atlantic Coast Region and the Gulf Coast States.
This marked the end of a five-day episode of severe weather associated with a cyclone tracking out of the Great Basin into southeastern Canada.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)
Lightning struck a house in Boulder, CO setting it afire. The house valued at $170,000 was a total loss.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1989
Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front crossing the Plateau Region produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Butte, MT with gusts to 77 mph at Choteau, MT.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
A spring storm produced heavy snow in Upper Michigan and eastern Wisconsin.
Totals ranged up to 12 inches at Marquette, MI, with eight inches reported at Muskego, WI and Hartford, WI.
The heavy wet snow, and winds gusting to 35 mph, damaged or destroyed thousands of trees and downed numerous power lines.
Total damage from the storm was more than four million dollars.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1991
Severe thunderstorms blasted western Texas and Nebraska.
15 tornadoes were reported in western Texas. Three miles northwest of Lazbuddie, a complex of 5 tornadoes touched down within 10 minutes of one another.
This consisted of the main funnel, rated an F2 and 4 'satellite' tornadoes that rotated around the main vortex at a distance of about a quarter of a mile.
Hail 6 inches in diameter broke many windshields and did extensive damage to roofs in Pyote, TX. 5-inch hailstones fell from a supercell thunderstorm near Crawford, NE.
Shreveport LA eclipsed their annual average rainfall for the year as 45 inches of rain had fallen by this date.
The normal for an average year is only 43.84 inches. This was the earliest date the average annual rainfall total had been surpassed.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1996
Graduation ceremony was ready to commence when softball hail struck Howard College at Big Spring, TX.
Skylights on the coliseum roof were shattered sending glass falling onto the floor that would have been filled with graduates just a few minutes later.
A Boy Scout caravan of 5 vehicles was pummeled by 5 inch diameter hail. The hail knocked out every window in every vehicle.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
South and Central United States:
More tornadoes, 412, strike the United States during this stretch than any other ten-day period since records began in 1950. A total of 42 storm-related deaths were reported.(Ref. WxDoctor)
Three teenagers ran into a home near Argle, Iowa as an F2 tornado neared; two went to an interior bathroom, the other under stairs.
The home was turned 120° and moved approximately 25 to 40 feet before being stopped by three large trees-which likely save teens from injury/death.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2012 Accord Pub. 2011, USA)

2010
May Tornado Outbreak- On May 10, Oklahoma experienced its largest tornado outbreak since 1999, with 55 tornadoes, two of which were rated EF4.
The tornadoes, which caused severe damage in the southern suburbs of Oklahoma City and near Norman, took 3 lies, injured 81 people, and caused $2 billion: in insured losses.
. Ironically, both EF4 tornadoes struck Norman, Oklahoma, home of the Storm Prediction Center and the National Severe Storms Laboratory.
Fourteen additional tornadoes hit Oklahoma during May 11-13.
(Ref. Weatherwise U.S. Weather Highlights of 2010 page 4 and 6 )

2018
the hail storm that started at 1627 and ended at 1631. The largest hail was 0.5 inches and the smaller hail was about 0.3 inches.
The hail came at rapid rate making the ground white in about 2 to 3 minutes and striped leaflets on the tomato plant and breaking he terminal growth bud and breaking a few compound leaves.
This image was taken during the time it was hailing and the image appear foggy!
(Ref. L. Koontz)(Ref. Video by L. Koontz)

MAY
11TH

1865
A tornado touched down in Philadelphia around 6 PM ET, killing one person and injuring 15 others.
There was great destruction to property, with 23 houses blown down, damage to the Reading Railroad depot, with the water tank carried 150 yards.
Fairmont Park was damaged to the amount of $20,000 dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1882
A severe thunderstorm produced 58 mph wind gusts at the Delaware Breakwater.
High tides swept away railroad tracks near Sandy Hook, NJ. Many ships were sent aground in New York Bay.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1906
33 °F is the lowest temperature in May for Washington, DC that rose to 67 °F in the afternoon, and to 79 °F on the 12th.
(Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA)

1945
On May 10th and 11th 10.0 inches or more of snow fell over interior Massachusetts and the lowest barometric pressure for the month of May was recorded at 29.09 inches of mercury.
(Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events)

1952
A few snow flurries fell at Springfield, IL establishing the date of the city's latest snowfall on record.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1953
A tornado hit Waco, TX killing 114 persons and burying some downtown streets under five feet of fallen bricks.(Ref. The Weather Channel)
Waco, Texas:
A terrifying F5 tornado rips through downtown Waco, Texas, killing 114 people and injuring nearly 600 more.
More than 850 homes, 600 businesses, and 2,000 cars are destroyed or severely damaged. Losses have been estimated ay $41 million ($275 million in 2002 dollars).
The tornado is the deadliest in Texas history and the tenth deadliest in the US.(Ref. WxDoctor)

1970
A very powerful tornado struck the city of Lubbock, TX killing 26 persons, injuring more than 500 others, and causing 135 million dollars damage.
It was the most destructive tornado of record up until that time, and came on the 17th anniversary of the twister which struck Waco, TX killing 114 persons.
A second tornado killed two others persons in Lubbock, and the two tornadoes damaged or destroyed nearly a quarter of the city.
(Ref. David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)

1981
The greatest daily precipitation to occur in the month of May in Richmond, Virginia was 3.05 inches.
(Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC)

1982
The second of three severe weather episodes occurred on this date through the 12th across parts of Oklahoma.
On this date, severe thunderstorms produced 18 tornadoes across the western part of the state. One tornado touched down southeast of Altus and moved across Altus Air Force Base.
In Altus, almost every roof in town was damaged by large hail. At the base, 70 buildings were damaged or destroyed, 30 airplanes were damaged, and 6,000 vehicles suffered hail or tornado damage.
Overall, two people were killed, 60 others injured, and the total damage from this particular storm was more than $200 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1983
A late spring snowstorm hit the western third of South Dakota on this date through the 12th.
Snow amounts ranged from 3 to 10 inches and in some areas the snow was accompanied by thunder, lightning, sleet, and hail making for an interesting mix of weather.
The heaviest snow amounts fell in the northern Black Hills although some areas in the plains had strong winds creating drifts high enough to make roads impassable.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Early morning thunderstorms produced up to four inches of rain in southern Texas, with flooding reported from Maverick County to Eagle Pass.
Evening thunderstorms in northern Illinois produced golf ball size hail and wind gusts to 70 mph.
(Ref. Storm Data) (Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1988
Unseasonably warm weather prevailed in the southwestern U.S. Reno NV reported a record high of 89 degrees.
(The National Weather Summary)

1989
Afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced severe weather in the High Plains Region.
Thunderstorm winds gusted to 71 mph at Gillette, WY, and baseball size hail was reported at Pecos, TX and Fort Stockton, TX,
Fort Stockton, TX was deluged with 7.75 inches of rain in less than two hours.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Unseasonably cold weather followed in the wake of a spring storm in the north central U.S. Seven cities reported record low temperatures for the date,
including Madison, WI with a reading of 29 degrees.
Thunderstorms produced severe weather in Kansas, Oklahoma and the northern half of Texas.
Severe thunderstorms spawned four tornadoes in Texas, and produced high winds which overturned four mobile homes northwest of Abilene, TX injuring ten persons.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1760
Ben Franklin was the first person to identify nor'easters. In a letter on this date,
Franklin described an experience that happened to him in November 1743 when storm clouds in Philadelphia blocked his view of an eclipse.
Franklin assumed that the storm had blown in from the northeast because the surface winds at his location were from that direction.
He was puzzled to find out later that his brother had viewed the eclipse with no problems and that the storm had arrived in Boston four hours later.
The information caused Franklin to correctly surmise that the storm had moved from southwest to northeast.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1834
Unusual snows occurred across the Northeast. 6 inches fell at Erie, PA and 12 inches at Rutland, VT from this date through the 15th.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1876
The first American newspaper weather map was published in the New York Herald.
Weather maps would first appear on a regular basis beginning on May 9, 1879 in the New York Daily Graphic.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1886
A tornado, which peaked at F4 intensity, touched down in Vermilion County near Armstrong, and passed between Alvin and Rossville before moving into Indiana.
At least 5 houses were destroyed, two of which were totally swept away. Three people were killed.
Five other strong tornadoes occurred across Illinois that day: two near Mt. Carroll, one near Odell, one near Jacksonville, and one in Iroquois County.
A tornado killed 57 people as it passed through Greene and Huron Counties of Ohio leaving 43 dead in Xenia.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1929
One of Virginia's worst tornado on record occurred on this date.
6 tornadoes touched down, including two west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, killing 22 people and destroying 4 schools.
13 of the victims were killed at Rye Cove in Scott County.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1934
A dust storm darkened skies from Oklahoma to the Atlantic coast.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1956
A severe weather outbreak produced tornadoes, high winds and large hail across Lower Michigan.
A deadly tornado hit near Flint for the second time in three years, killing three people on the southeast side of the city.
One person was killed in Gratiot County as a tornado moved between Alma and Ithaca.
Muskegon was pelted with baseball-sized hail that caused thousands of dollars in damage to homes and cars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1972
In Texas, A cloudburst dumped sixteen inches of rain north of New Braunfels sending a thirty foot wall of water down Blueders Creek into the Comal and
Guadalupe Rivers washing away people, houses and automobiles. The flood claimed 18 persons and caused more than twenty million dollars damage.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1980
Cheyenne, WY received 3.8 inches of snow. It turned out to be the last snow of the 1979-80 season which produced a record 121.5 inches of snowfall.
On the same day Scottsbluff, NE received just under an inch of snow (0.8 inches) which brought their snow season to an end with a record 78.5 inches.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1982
A late season snowstorm struck the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies. The storm produced 46 inches of snow at Coal Creek Canyon located near Boulder.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1984
A tornado touched down just northeast of Clark, SD and cut a path 25 miles long into Codington County, SD.
The storm moved through southwest sections of Henry and was an amazing three quarters of a mile wide where before it split into two separate tornadoes which moved different directions.
One moved northeast and quickly dissipated while the second continued its path of destruction to the southeast.
On its southeast trek the tornado destroyed 11 barns, 23 sheds, 6 homes, one mobile home, 7 garages, 8 grain bins, as well as, machinery and hundreds of trees.
The storm also wrapped a small plane around a pole. Areas along the storm path reported hail from golf ball to grapefruit size with some areas in Henry having the hail pile up to 15 inches deep.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1985
Widespread severe weather occurred for two days across the state of Oklahoma from this date through the next day.
The city of Moore reported baseball size hail and winds of 70 to 80 mph. Even larger hail fell in south Oklahoma City, with some stones as large as grapefruits.
Hail larger than baseballs fell as far southwest as Sterling. Two weak tornadoes also occurred, but caused little additional damage.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)1987
A heat wave persisted in central California. Afternoon highs of 100 degrees at Fresno CA and 102 degrees at Sacramento CA were records for the date.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1988
Unseasonably warm weather prevailed in the western U.S. Eight cities reported record high temperatures for the date,
including Pendleton, OR with a high of 92 degrees and Phoenix AZ with a reading of 106 degrees.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1989
Showers and thunderstorms associated with a low-pressure system stalled over New York State drenched Portland ME with 4.50 inches of rain in 24 hours.
Rains of 5 to 7 inches soaked the state of Maine over a four-day period causing 1.3 million dollars damage.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather from eastern Texas and the Central Gulf Coast States into Missouri and Illinois.
Thunderstorms spawned six tornadoes, including one that injured four persons at Doloroso, MS.
Thunderstorms also produced hail three inches in diameter west of Vicksburg, MS and wind gusts to 83 mph in southern Illinois, north of Vevay Park and at the Coles County Airport.
High winds and heavy rain caused 1.6 million dollars crop damage in Calhoun County IL, and in southeastern Louisiana, Saint Joseph was deluged with eight inches of rain.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

2000
Severe thunderstorms produced hail up to 2.5 inches in diameter from Eureka to Roanoke, causing $300,000 damage to 100 cars.
This was part of a cluster of severe thunderstorms, producing hail in a large area from the Illinois River to the Indiana border.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1908
An F4 tornado ripped through Gilliam, Bolinger, and Belcher, LA. 49 people were killed and 135 were injured.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1922
A mid-afternoon hailstorm dropped hailstones 0.5 inches in diameter at Montpelier, VT.
Along the 550 yard wide and 3 to 4 mile long hail swath, ice laid 4 inches deep with local piles up to two feet deep.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1930
A man was killed when caught in an open field during a hailstorm northwest of Lubbock TX.
It was the first, and perhaps the only, authentic death by hail in US weather records.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1975
Severe thunderstorm winds lasting 20-30 minutes damaged over 90 of the 600 planes based at the Ft. Lauderdale International Airport.
The FAA tower measured winds gusting to 101 mph. Tied down aircraft were ripped from their moorings.
The roof of the terminal was slightly damaged, hail was reported and two inches of rain fell in an hour.
Tennis-ball size hail fell at Wernersville, PA. Hail accumulated to a depth of 10 inches.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1980
An F3 tornado ripped directly through the center of Kalamazoo, MI, killing five people, injuring 79, leaving 1,200 homeless and causing $50 million in damage.
The tornado passed directly over the American Bank, where a barograph reported a pressure drop of 0.59 inches.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1981
A tornado 450 yards in width destroyed ninety percent of Emberson, TX.
People did not see a tornado, but rather a wall of debris. Homes were leveled, a man in a bathtub was hurled a quarter of a mile, and a 1500 pound recreational vehicle was hurled 500 yards.
Miraculously no deaths occurred in the tornado.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1982
A thunderstorm dumped 5 inches of rain in less than one hour just south of Platte, SD.
The runoff from the rain was sufficient to move a 54 foot cultivator up against a fence.
Also 15 to 20 inches of snow fell near Ft. Collins, CO.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1985
Widespread severe weather occurred for two days across the state of Oklahoma on the 12th and this date.
The city of Moore reported baseball size hail and winds of 70 to 80 mph. Even larger hail fell in south Oklahoma City, with some stones as large as grapefruits.
Hail larger than baseballs fell as far southwest as Sterling, in Comanche County. Two weak tornadoes also occurred, but caused little additional damage.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1986
A Kentucky State Trooper's car was hit by lightning as he was on patrol near Carrolton, TX. The strike burned a hole in the trunk lid and rear tires. The trooper was unhurt.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
A cold front brought an end to the early season warm spell in the north central U.S., but not before the temperature at Sioux City, IA soared to a record warm 95 degrees.
Strong southwesterly winds ahead of the cold front gusted to 52 mph at Marais, MI. Evening thunderstorms produced golf ball size hail at Rockford MN, and wind gusts to 75 mph at Belmond, IA.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988
Strong winds along a cold front ushering cold air into the northwestern U.S. gusted to 69 mph at Myton UT.
Temperatures warmed into the 80s ahead of the cold front as far north as Montana.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Thunderstorms developing along a warm front produced severe weather in the Southern Plains Region during the afternoon and night.
A thunderstorm at Killeen TX produced wind gusts to 95 mph damaging 200 helicopters at Fort Hood causing nearly 500 million dollars damage.
Another thunderstorm produced softball size hail at Hodges, TX.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front spawned ten tornadoes from eastern Wyoming to northern Kansas, including seven in western Nebraska.
Thunderstorms forming ahead of a cold front in the eastern U.S. spawned five tornadoes from northeastern North Carolina to southern Pennsylvania.
Thunderstorms over southeast Louisiana deluged the New Orleans area with four to eight inches of rain between 7 AM and Noon.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1995
This outbreak produced tornadoes extending from the Mississippi River near Burlington, IA, to west of Bloomington, IL.
Two violent tornadoes, each ranked at F4 intensity, were reported.
The first tornado traveled 60 miles from near Fort Madison, IA, to southeast of Galesburg, IL producing over $10 million dollars damage.
The second violent tornado traveled 7 miles across Fulton County from Ipava to Lewistown, IL producing $6 million dollars damage.
Another strong tornado took a 25 mile path across parts of Fulton, Mason, and Tazewell Counties.
The storms also produced softball-size hail south and northwest of Macomb.
Five men were injured in Lawrence County, Indiana when lightning struck one of them and traveled to the other four.
There were 184 reports of severe weather, including over three dozen tornadoes.
A thunderstorm produced a downburst over Grissom, AFB in Peru, IN where a wind gust to 136 mph was recorded.
Softball sized hail was reported at Terre Haute, IN and at Monte, AR.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2001
Two brothers hiking with their family in the Zion National Park in Utah were swept away when flash flooding suddenly struck after a burst of heavy rain.
The youngsters were ahead of the rest of their family when they came to a part of the trail that was underwater.
They were swept away as they attempted the cross the flooded part of the trail.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2008
Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana:
Torrential rainfall breaks several records, including the most rain to fall in a 20-minute interval and the most rainfall in a 180-minute period.
More than 10 inches of rain deluged the Shreveport area, flooding at least 125 homes.
The National Weather Service reports 4.43 inches fell in one hour braking the old record of 3.16 inches. (Ref. WxDoctor)

1834
The greatest May snowstorm on record for New England occurred.
The hills around Newbury, VT were covered with up to 24 inches of snow and the higher elevations around Haverhill, NH received up to three feet of snow.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1886
43 people were killed as a tornado ripped through Anderson, IN.
An F4 twister touched down two miles north of Redkey, IN and lifted five miles north of Celina, OH.
Six people were killed, five of them in leveled homes northwest of Celina.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)1896
The mercury plunged to 10 degrees below zero at Climax CO.
It was the lowest reading of record for the U.S. during the month of May.
(Ref. David Ludlum)1898
A severe thunderstorm, with some hailstones up to 9.5 inches in circumference, pounded a four mile wide path across Kansas City, MO.
South-facing windows were broken in nearly every house in central and eastern parts of the city, and several persons were injured.
An even larger hailstone was thought to been found, but it turned out to be a chunk of ice tossed out the window of a building by a prankster.
(Ref. The Kansas City Weather Almanac) (The Weather Channel)

1923
An early morning violent F5 tornado cut a 45 mile path of destruction through Howard and Mitchell counties in Texas.
23 people lost their lives and 250 sustained injuries.
The path width of the tornado reached 1.5 miles at one point and entire farms were "wiped off the face of the earth".
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1985
Severe thunderstorms developed in DeWitt County, located between Bloomington and Decatur, and moved northward.
The storms produced a wind gust of 73 mph at the Bloomington airport. In the Marshall County town of Wenona, winds up to 100 mph destroyed several barns and farm buildings.
LaSalle County had 2 inch diameter hail and 60 mph winds; in Mendota, nearly every building in town sustained some damage.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Seven cities across the western U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date as unseasonably hot weather made a comeback.
The record high of 103 degrees at Sacramento CA was their ninth in eleven days, and also marked a record seven days of 100 degree heat for the month.
Their previous record was two days of 100° heat in May.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)
Lightning struck and killed two softball players in Randolph, NY, as they sought shelter from a thunderstorm under a tree.
Four other players who had also run under the tree were treated for shock and minor injuries.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1988
Sunny and dry weather prevailed across the nation. Temperatures warmed into the 80s and lower 90s in the Great Plains Region and the Mississippi Valley.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1989
Thunderstorms developing along a stationary front produced severe weather in south central Texas and the Southern High Plains Region during the afternoon and evening hours.
Thunderstorms produced softball size hail at Spearman, TX and Hitchcock, TX.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front produced severe weather from northwest Texas to western Missouri.
Severe thunderstorms spawned seventeen tornadoes including nine in Texas. Four tornadoes in Texas injured a total of nine persons.
Thunderstorms in Texas also produced hail four inches in diameter at Shamrock, and hail four and a half inches in diameter near Guthrie.
Thunderstorms over northeastern Kansas produced more than seven inches of rain in Chautauqua County between 9 PM and midnight.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1998
A severe thunderstorm, with some hailstones up to 9.5 inches in circumference, pounded a four mile wide path across Kansas City, MO.
South-facing windows were broken in nearly every house in central and eastern parts of the city, and several persons were injured.
An even larger hailstone was thought to have been found, but it turned out to be a chunk of ice tossed out the window of a building by a prankster.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2018
A strong thunderstorm yesterday rated 4-5-2 with winds to 47 mph and a long period of lightning but only 0.44 inches of rain.
Yesterday was also the second hottest day of 2018 so far. This is the highest wind ever recorded at the Glen Allen in the month of May.
The radar showed a bow echo as the storm approach the Glen Allen Station and the wind and rain preceded the lightning by around 10 to 15 minutes.

MAY
15TH

1834
Coldest ever in mid-May 32° on Capitol Hill barometer was 30.50 inches and the maximum temperature was 50°.
The Northern Atlantic Coast States were in the midst of their greatest May snowstorm of record.
The hills around Newbury VT were covered with two to three feet of snow.
(Ref. David Ludlum)
(12th-16th) A wintry period from the Great Lakes to parts of New England. 6 inch snow in Erie, PA (14th);
12 inches in Rutland, VT, by p.m. today; Newbury, VT received 2 feet (sleighs on roads on 16th), while Haverhill, NH, vicinity had 2 feet in valleys and 3 feet on hills.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA)

1896
A tornado with F5 intensity struck Sherman, TX killing 73 people; 60 of them in downtown.
Tornado victims were found as far as 400 yards away from their original location. A trunk lid was carried 35 miles by the twister.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1949
A violent F4 tornado moved through Amarillo, TX. The tornado tracked through the Amarillo Airport and damaged or destroyed 45 aircraft.
Seven people were killed and 82 were injured. Damage was set at $4.8 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1951
On this date through the 24th, Hurricane Able does loop-the-loop north of the Bahamas and reaches Category 3 strength off Cape Hatteras, NC.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1957
An F4 tornado killed 20 people at Silverton, TX. A 5,000 pound gasoline storage tank was reportedly carried 1.5 miles and dropped into a lake.
Local residents said the tornado "looked like red sand, boiling and rumbling".
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1966
The NIMBUS II satellite was launched on this date. NIMBUS I had malfunctioned and was never operational.
The arrival on the scene of the NIMBUS satellites eliminated the threat of tropical cyclones striking without warning ever again.
Polar orbiting satellites, the NIMBUS series gave meteorologists worldwide coverage at least once per day.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1968
A tornado touched down southwest of Anchorage AK. It was the second of just three tornadoes reported in Alaska since 1950.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)
A tornado outbreak occurred across Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa and Arkansas.
Charles City, IA was devastated by an F5 tornado with 13 people killed, 337 homes destroyed and $30 million dollars damage.
Another F5 tornado moved north-northeast from southwest of Oelwein to Maynard and east of Randalia in Fayette County, IA.
The warning sirens sounded for only 15 seconds before power failed in Oelwein.
Nearly 1,000 homes were damaged or destroyed along the path, and 34 people had to be hospitalized. Almost 1,000 families were affected.
Damage was $21 million.
During a 55 minute span, six tornadoes moved through De Witt County, Illinois.
Four people were killed and 56 injured in the Wapella and Waynesville areas. This outbreak was one of 3 which moved across central Illinois that day.
A tornado causing F3 damage was responsible for 4 deaths and 60 injuries in St. Clair County in Illinois.
Besides the tornadoes, a large area of 7 to 10 inches of rain fell in parts of DeWitt, Macon, Piatt, and Champaign Counties.
An F4 tornado tracked through Jackson, Craighead, and Mississippi Counties in Arkansas, killing 35 people and injuring 361. 164 homes in Jonesboro were destroyed.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1972
The worst ice jam flooding of memory for long-time residents took place along the Kuskokwim River and Yukon River in Alaska.
It was the first time since 1890 that the two rivers "flowed as one". The towns of Oscarville and Napaskiak were completely inundated. (15th-31st)
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1987
Unseasonably warm weather returned to the north central U.S. Seven cities reported record high temperatures for the date, including Janestown ND with a reading of 96 degrees.
Thunderstorms in Utah produced five inches of rain south of Bicknell.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988
Thunderstorms in Oklahoma produced wind gusts to 80 mph in Oklahoma County and baseball size hail at Pawnee. Hail piled up to a depth of 18 inches south of Pawnee.
Hail damage in Oklahoma was estimated at close to 25 million dollars.
Thunderstorms in the Upper Midwest produced golf ball size hail around Cleveland OH, and wind gusts to 83 mph at Angola IN.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1989
Thunderstorms developing along and north of a stationary front produced severe weather in the south central U.S.
Thunderstorms spawned eleven tornadoes, and there were 145 reports of large hail and damaging winds.
Softball size hail caused 2.1 million dollars damage at Sherman, TX.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather from the Central Plains Region and Oklahoma to Indiana and western Kentucky.
Thunderstorms spawned fifteen tornadoes, including seven in Oklahoma, and there were 165 reports of large hail or damaging winds.
A tornado killed one person, injured a dozen others, and caused four million dollars damage at Stillwater OK.
Another tornado injured eight persons at Foyil OK. Thunderstorms in Oklahoma also produced wind gusts to 92 mph at Oologah Lake and softball size hail at Canton and north of Oakwood.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1991
A series of slow moving thunderstorms moved over Bennett County in South Dakota.
Not only did 5 to 6 inches of rain fall in the Martin and Tuthill area, but marble to golf ball size hail fell for an extended period of time.
So much hail fell that it actually piled into drifts as high as 6 feet.
A flash flood threatened 16 children and 3 adults on a field trip in Little Grand Canyon, in southern Illinois' Shawnee National Forest.
While trying to escape the rising waters, a teacher and three children fell into a creek and were swept downstream about a mile. They were later rescued by helicopter.
At least five tornadoes struck the western and northwestern parts of Texas.
The strongest tornado was sighted near Laverne, which was rated as an F3.
The tornado was 800 to 900 yards wide, and its path was 11.5 miles long.
Three injuries resulted in the Laverne area. This storm also produced hail the size of grapefruits.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1995
About 5 miles north of Charleston and Ingalls, KS strong thunderstorm winds gusting to over 100 mph snapped off 150 power poles and 40 pivot sprinklers were damaged or destroyed, along with trees and fences.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
Thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding in the foothills of central Boulder County in Colorado.
Rainfall ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 inches in less than two hours.
Water ranging in depth from 6 to 9 inches covered state highway 119 in Boulder Canyon.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2017
Temperatures had been running 6°F below average for the first half of the month with snow showers adding up to 8.9” through the 13th.
May only averages 12” of snowfall on the summit so we were already well on our way to surpassing that total, but we did not know by how much.
Instead of seeing the snow let up towards the tail end of the month, we recorded our biggest single-storm snowfall since October 2005!
Snow fell continuously for 38 hours straight from Saturday evening on the 13th through Monday morning on the 15th, with a grand total of 33.3” of accumulation.
This was the largest snowstorm ever recorded in the month of May and also broke the record for 24-hour accumulation in May at 22.9”.
It was an incredible experience for the staff on the summit, one that we won’t soon forget!
(Ref. Tom Padham-Meteorologist/Education Specialist-PICTURE1)(Ref. Tom Padham-Meteorologist/Education Specialist-PICTURE2)

MAY
16TH

1858
Richmond, Va. Area - Chesterfield County, VA Terrible Hail Storm Damage - Sunday, May 16, 1858:
A terrible hail storm occurred in Chesterfield County last evening. Some of the stones were of the size of hen's eggs.
Vegetation was destroyed, the ground strewn with the leaves and branches of trees, and a great many windows broken.
The hail was from two to three feet deep in some places in the roads.
The train from Petersburg last evening came in contact with a fallen tree, and the engine and cars were much damaged. The storm is unprecedented.
The New York Times, New York - May 17,1858 by Stu Beitler

1874
The Mill Creek disaster occurred west of Northhampton, MA.
Dam slippage resulted in a flash flood that claimed 143 lives, and caused a million dollars property damage.
(David Ludlum)

1876
A lightning bolt exploded at the schoolhouse and knocked down nearly a dozen students playing in the schoolyard killing one boy at Rondeau, Ontario Canada.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1883
A three-day flood was in progress throughout the Black Hills of South Dakota which resulted in damages over one million dollars in the Rapid City area.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1898
Heavy hail many windows broken in Baltimore along with 1.38 inches of precipitation.

1899
A tornado causing F4 damage moved east northeast from 3 miles northwest of Greeley in Delaware County, Iowa to northwest of Colesburg into Clayton County, Iowa.
At least five farms were hit. The tornado narrowed to only 75 yards near Colesburg and swept away all buildings including homes on three of the farms.
Two people were killed in one family and four others may have died later.
Four men were caught in the one mile from Colesburg and two of them were killed as they looked for shelter.
A tombstone of some kind was reportedly carried for two miles. This tornado killed 4 people, all in Clayton County and injured 14 others.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1968
A tornado skipped for 45 miles from south of Wabash to New Haven, IN.
A woman was killed when her mobile home was blown across a highway and demolished. New Haven was hardest hit with 15 homes damaged.
Planes were damaged at the Wabash Airport.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1983
A very strong spring storm dumped heavy snow across the Front Range in Colorado.
Strong winds of 20 to 40 mph with gusts to 55 mph produced blizzard conditions at times.
The Foothills received 1 to 2 feet of snow with 4 to 12 inches along the Foothills.
Blowing snow whipped the snow into drifts several feet deep closing schools and highways.
Power outages occurred; with 20 square miles of Denver blacked out.
Hundreds of passengers were stranded as only half of runways were open at Stapleton International Airport.
The high temperature at Denver the next day of just 40° set a record low maximum.
Much of the snow melted on the 18th as temperatures rebounded into the middle and upper 50s causing widespread street flooding.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
It was a summer-like day as thunderstorms abounded across the nation.
Thunderstorms in Texas drenched Guadelupe County with more than three inches of rain resulting in flash flooding.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988
Afternoon and evening thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front produced severe weather from Florida to New York State.
Unseasonably warm weather prevailed in the north central U.S. Havre, MT reported a record high of 95 degrees.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1989
Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front produced severe weather in the south central U.S.
Thunderstorms spawned twenty tornadoes, and there were 180 reports of large hail and damaging winds.
A tornado in Cleburne, TX caused thirty million dollars damage.
A violent (F-4) tornado touched down near Brackettville, TX and a strong (F-3) tornado killed one person and injured 28 others at Jarrell, TX.
Thunderstorms also produced softball size hail at Shamrock, TX.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather from eastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas to the Upper Ohio Valley.
Thunderstorms spawned seventeen tornadoes, including a twister that killed one person and injured another north of Corning AR.
There were 128 reports of large hail or damaging winds.
Strong thunderstorm winds killed one person and injured six others at Folsomville, IN and injured another five persons in southeastern Hardin County, KY.
In Arkansas, baseball size hail was reported near Fouke and near El Dorado.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1995
On this date through the 17th, 6.55 inches of rain fell at St. Louis, MO.
This is the fifth greatest 24-hour total amount of precipitation for that location.
5.73 inches of rain fell at Columbia, MO making it the sixth greatest 24-hour total amount of precipitation for that location.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1996
The high of 105° established the record high for the month of May at Dodge City, KS. This also set a record for the warmest temperature recorded for so early in the year.
Other daily record highs included: Amarillo, TX: 103°, Lubbock, TX: 102°, Wichita Falls, TX: 100°, Pueblo, CO: 98°, Scottsbluff, NE: 94°, Goodland, KS: 94°, Denver, CO: 93°,
Albuquerque, NM: 93°, North Platte, NE: 93°, Colorado Springs, CO: 90°, Cheyenne, WY: 86° and Alamosa, CO: 83°.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1997
Sioux City, Iowa:
Sioux City sets daily high and low records on same day: 91 °F and 22 °F, respectively.
The record is fortuitous as on no earlier spring date was the record low temperature so high, and on only one May date was the record high any lower.(Ref. WxDoctor)
3.2 inches of snow fell at Marquette, MI bringing their seasonal accumulation to 272 inches to establish the all-time record seasonal snow total for Marquette County Airport.
It was also the fifth consecutive day with measurable snow, setting the record for consecutive days with measurable snow during the month of May.
While mid-May snow is unusual, it's not the latest in the season it has ever snowed at Marquette.
The latest measurable snow there is 0.2 inches on 6/2/1910.
The latest date with at least 1-inch of snow is 5/29/1947 with 2.1 inches of snow falling.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1999
As a mother and daughter were driving to a more substantial shelter from their mobile home in Logan, IA when a tornado began to overtake their car.
They followed the old advice of seeking shelter in a ditch.
As they huddled in the ditch, a large piece of farm equipment and a car fell on them, killing the daughter and injuring the mother.
Such incidents have caused Meteorologists and safety experts to question the old standard advice of leaving your car to seek shelter in a ditch when a tornado approaches.
The most important advice is not to be caught out during a tornado situation.
Lightning struck a home at Rochester, MN blowing a hole in the wall of the kitchen as well as blasting the bark off a tree in the backyard.
In addition, the lightning also set off an explosion in a nearby sewer, which damaged three homes and caused a gasoline leak.
Several neighborhoods were evacuated. Damage was estimated at $25,000 dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2002
Most rivers across central and southeast Illinois were flooding, due to runoff from heavier rain several days earlier.
The Embarras River at Lawrenceville, IL crested at record levels on this date, while the Sangamon River crested from the 14th through this date at 2nd to 3rd highest levels on record.
The Illinois River would crest later in the month around the third highest level on record.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2006
Lightning caused a fire that ruined a refurbished World War II barracks on the FAU campus in Boca Raton, Florida.
The the barracks was made of Dade County pine the 21,000 square feet barracks was dedicated 10 days before the fire and was nominated for the National Registry of Historical Places.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2007 Accord Publishing, USA)

2018
May 16th had 1.73 inches of rain a 9 -year daily record for the date; the previous record was 1.63 in 2014.
Glen Allen would get 9.20 inches of rain by the time this Weather system had finished on the 19th.
This was from moisture come up the coast from Florida with a stationery just north of central Virginia.

MAY
17TH

1794
An "uncommon frost" in all of New England destroyed crops. The account was published in the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1883
A three-day flood in the Black Hills of western South Dakota resulted in a million dollars damage at Rapid City.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1896
An F5 tornado tracked 100 miles through northeastern Kansas and extreme southeastern Nebraska.
Seneca, Oneida, Sabetha, and Reserve, Kansas sustained severe damage.
While passing through Reserve the tornado was 2 miles wide. 25 people were killed and 200 were injured.
Damage was estimated at $400,000 dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1977
Several homes caught fire during an early morning thunderstorm accompanied by a violent lightning display that moved across Crystal Lake, IL.
Lightning struck a home under construction causing extensive fire damage. Fire caused by lightning also brought entire destruction to a garage at the same location.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1983
A golfer playing the Fox Meadows Course in Memphis, TN was struck by a bolt of lightning that went through his neck, down his spine, came out a pocket containing his keys, and went into a nearby tree.
Miraculously, he survived!
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1987
A summer-like weather pattern continued, with warm temperatures and scattered thunderstorms across much of the nation.
A cold front in the north central U.S. produced a sharp contrast in the weather across the state of Minnesota during the afternoon.
At the same time Duluth was 50 degrees with rain and fog, Mankato was 95 degrees with sunny skies.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1988
Thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds over the Carolinas during the afternoon and evening. A "thunderstorm of a lifetime" in northern
Spartanburg County SC produced hail for forty-five minutes, leaving some places knee-deep in hail.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Thunderstorms ravaged the south central U.S. with severe weather for the third day in a row.
Thunderstorms spawned another nineteen tornadoes, for a total of fifty tornadoes in three days.
A strong (F-2) tornado injured 14 persons and caused two million dollars damage at Apple Springs, TX.
Baseball size hail was reported at Matador, TX.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Last of 13 consecutive days with rain at DCA is the second longest string on record.

1990
Thunderstorms developing along a cold front produced severe weather in New York State during the late morning and afternoon.
A tornado injured one person at Warren, and wind gusts to 80 mph were reported at Owego.
Evening thunderstorms over southwest Texas produced wind gusts to 80 mph at Marfa, along with golf ball size hail that accumulated to a depth of ten inches.
Late night thunderstorms over southwest Texas produced up to seven inches of rain in western Crockett County.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
Evening thunderstorms over southwest Texas produced wind gusts to 80 mph at Marfa, along with golf ball size hail which accumulated to a depth of 10 inches.
Late night thunderstorms over southwest Texas produced up to 7 inches of rain in western Crockett County.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1991
The severe weather that began the previous day persisted into this day producing flash flooding over the western and central parts of Oklahoma.
Rainfall accumulations of nearly 9 inches flooded many low lying areas and houses in the Weatherford area. In Kingfisher, flood waters covered 64 square blocks of town, and forced the evacuation of 600 people.
The National Guard was called in to help in the evacuation as the flood waters reached 6 to 8 feet deep in a few places. The floods washed out 11 major bridges in Lincoln County.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1996
An F1 tornado touched down 20 miles southeast of Wilmot or 5 miles northwest of Ortonville, MN at Schmidts Landing on Big Stone Lake.
This tornado became an F3 as it crossed Big Stone Lake from Roberts County, destroying one cabin at the Meadowbrook Resort in the process.
Estimated property damage was listed at $1.5 million dollars.
A wind gust of 90 mph blew two garage roofs off, destroyed an antenna, blew large trees down, and also a grain dryer was blown down near Dumont, Minnesota.
Softball size hail pummeled Charles City, IA. Property damage was estimated at $600,000, with an additional $25,000 in crop damage.
5 to 8 inches of rain fell across northern DeKalb County, Indiana producing widespread flooding.
Serious flooding along Fish Creek produced one fatality as someone tried to drive through flood waters and was swept away.
Ten inches of rain in six hours gave Antwerp and Bryan, Ohio their worst flooding in 70 years, with $3 million dollars damage.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2009
Bunnell, Florida from the 17th to the 20th:
By late Wednesday, Bunnell, in Flagler County, totals 23.75 inches of rain since Sunday.
Rainfall on Wednesday alone totaled 9.27 inches at Jacksonville Naval Air Station and 6.74 inches at Daytona Beach. (Ref. WxDoctor)

2018
May 17th had 1.88 inches of rain a 9 -year daily record for the date; the previous record was 1.58 in 2011.
Glen Allen would get 9.20 inches of rain by the time this Weather system had finished on the 19th.
This was from moisture come up the coast from Florida with a stationery just north of central Virginia.

MAY
18TH

1825
A tornado (said to have crossed all of the state of Ohio) smashed into the log cabin settlement of Burlington, northeast of Columbus.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1877
Record maximum temperature for Washington, DC for the date is 96 °F.

1883
The large tornado outbreak on record in Illinois affected the northern and central parts of the state.
At least 14 strong to violent tornadoes touched down killing 52 people.
The largest death toll from a single tornado was 12, with 50 injuries, from an F4 tornado which moved from near Jacksonville to 5 miles west of Petersburg.
This tornado completely destroyed the town of Literberry.
Another tornado, which peaked at F4 intensity, killed 11 people and injured 50 along its path from the south edge of Springfield northeast to near Kenney.
This particular tornado reportedly drove 10 inch by 12 inch oak timbers 10 feet into the ground.
An F4 tornado in far northern Illinois touched down near Capron, and tracked for 17 miles before lifting in far southern Wisconsin.
An F4 tornado tracked 20 miles through Kenosha and Racine Counties in Wisconsin.
Eight people were killed and 85 were injured.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1902
An F4 tornado struck the town of Goliad, TX, killing 114 people.
No U.S. tornado disaster of similar magnitude has ever occurred further south than this event.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1915
A spring snowstorm began across parts of the east-central Rockies into parts of the west-central Plains.
The storm produced 11.8 inches of snow at Scottsbluff, NE by the end of the day with 5 inches of snow recorded at Cheyenne, WY.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1951
Developing three days earlier Tropical Storm Able becomes a hurricane north of the Bahamas.
Over the next few days “Able” looped around to the north reaching Category 3 intensity on the 21st off Cape Hatteras, NC.
“Able” would move eastward becoming extratropical on the 23rd.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1960
Salt Lake City UT received an inch of snow. It marked their latest measurable snowfall of record.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1979
Baseball size hail fell from a severe thunderstorm over Hollis, in Harmon County, Oklahoma.
The hail destroyed thousands of windows and damaged most of the roofs in the town.
Two people were injured when they were hit by the hail.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1980
MT. ST. HELENS ERUPTED, smoke to 80,000 ft., to East Coast IN 3 days, world in 19 days.
Mount Saint Helens (in Washington State) erupted spewing ash and smoke sixty-three thousand feet into the air.
Heavy ash covered the ground to the immediate northwest and small particles were carried to the Atlantic coast.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1985
At Newark, NJ, the barometric pressure fell to 29.23 inches of mercury to establish an all-time record low reading for the month of May.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1988
Low pressure anchored over eastern Virginia kept showers and thunderstorms over the Middle Atlantic Coast Region.
Flash flooding was reported in Pennsylvania. Up to five inches of rain drenched Franklin County PA in 24 hours.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1989
Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front produced severe weather from the Central Gulf Coast States to the Lower Missouri Valley during the day and evening.
Thunderstorms spawned sixteen tornadoes and there were 74 reports of large hail and damaging winds.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the central U.S. spawning sixteen tornadoes, including a dozen in Nebraska.
Thunderstorms also produced hail four inches in diameter at Perryton, TX, wind gusts to 84 mph at Ellis, KS,
and high winds that caused nearly two million dollars damage at Sutherland, NE.
Thunderstorms deluged Sioux City, IA with up to eight inches of rain, resulting in a record flood crest on Perry Creek and at least 4.5 million dollars damage.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1995
A severe weather outbreak occurred in the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys.
86 tornadoes were reported; five F4 intensity.
his was one of the largest tornado outbreaks in two decades in Tennessee.
6 people were killed and 65 others injured.
Three people were killed at Ethridge, TN.
A tornado causing F2 damage touched down near Festus, MO causing almost $200,000 dollars in damage.
An F2 tornado touched down on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, one mile south of Cordova in the Kittys Corner area, destroying two homes.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
Latest in the spring that 70 °F first occurred for Boston, Massachusetts.
(Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events)

1997
A strong thunderstorm produced a wet microburst and two tornadoes at Apple Valley, CA.
Winds were estimated at 130 to 140 mph. The winds caused structural damage and downed power lines caused fires.
Goshen, IN was hard-hit by 75 mph winds that knocked over many trees and did some roof damage.
A 93 mph wind gust was recorded at Michiana Regional Airport in South Bend, IN. Roof and tree damage occurred in Berrien County.
A woman was injured in Hillsdale when wind blew her trailer over.
A tree killed a man in Ottawa, OH when it fell on his car.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2000
A series of thunderstorms formed and moved over a two county area of east central Illinois, over a two and a half hour period.
Over $4 million worth of damage resulted.
Georgetown was hit twice within an hour's time by baseball sized hail.
Thousands of cars sustained major hail damage.
Also, hundreds of homes and businesses had windows broken out, and siding damaged.
In the town of Jamaica, the high school sustained an estimated $300,000 damage.
In Pesotum, 11 Illinois State Patrol cars sustained hail damage, totaling $24,000.
Thunderstorms in the Chicago metropolitan area blew down over 1,000 trees in Highland Park, and produced a wind gust of 84 mph at Wheeling.
United Airlines cancelled over 500 flights in and out of O'Hare Airport because of the storms.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2018
May 18th had 5.09 inches of rain a 9-year daily record for the date; the previous record was 0.78 in 2013.
Glen Allen would get 9.20 inches of rain by the time this Weather system had finished on the 19th.
This was from moisture come up the coast from Florida with a stationery just north of central Virginia.
Also more than 10 inches of rain fell in SW Henrico County during a 4 day period of May 16 to May 19th.
(Ref. Richmond Times Dispatch)(Ref. Glen Allen Records)

MAY
19TH

1780
This was the infamous "dark day" in New England tradition. At noon it was nearly as dark as night.
Chickens went to roost, and many persons were fearful of divine wrath. Forest fires to the west of New England caused the phenomenon.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1915
A spring storm came to an end after producing widespread snow.
Total snowfall from the storm included: 17.6 inches in Scottsbluff, NE, 8 inches at Cheyenne, WY and 7 inches at Chadron, NE.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1943
Many rivers in central Illinois were affected by record flooding during the month.
On the Sangamon River, a record crest of 31.52 feet occurred at Riverton on this date.
Downstream, a stage of 33.9 feet at Petersburg on the 20th resulted in large sections of the town being flooded.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1955
Lake Maloya NM received 11.28 inches of rain in 24 hours to establish a state record.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1975
Thunderstorms produced golf ball size hail and wind gusts to 110 mph in Minnesota, between Fridley and Hugo.
Fifty persons were injured. The hail and high winds destroyed fifty mobile homes and a dozen aircraft,
and also destroyed a third of the Brighton Elementary School.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1976
Record minimum temperature recorded for Washington, DC for the date is 43 °F.
(Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA)
A rare late season arctic outbreak brought snow to western Maryland.

1977
Over a 9 day period, this was the fourth day of a terrible heat in the Chicago, IL area.
Over the 9 day period, the daily high temperature was 90° or higher setting eight high temperature records.
The monthly average for those 9 days was 69.3° or about 20 degrees above normal.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Thunderstorms in Texas produced thirteen inches of rain northwest of Lavernia.
The heavy rain, along with golf ball size hail, destroyed eighty percent of the crops in the area, while high winds toppled trees.
Golf ball size hail was also reported south of Dallas and around San Antonio. Up to eight inches of rain drenched Guadelupe County.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988
Severe thunderstorms in southwest Texas produced hail as large as tennis balls around Midland, with the hail accumulating up to a foot deep.
Showers and thunderstorms in the Middle Atlantic Coast Region produced 3.5 inches of rain near Schuylkill, PA.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front spawned ten tornadoes from Illinois to Tennessee during the afternoon and night.
Snow, wind and cold prevailed in the Northern Plateau Region and the Northern Rockies.
Dixie ID was blanketed with nine inches of snow, winds gusted to 87 mph at Choteau, MT
and the temperature at Crater Lake, OR dipped to 11 degrees.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1990
Thunderstorms deluged Hot Springs AR with thirteen inches of rain in nine hours resulting in a devastating flood.
Two waves of water, four to six feet deep, swept down Central Avenue flooding stores and the famous bathhouses on Bathhouse Row.
Water released from Lake Hamilton devastated the area between it and Remmel Dam.
The 500-foot Carpenter Dam Bridge across Lake Catherine was completely washed away, as were cabins and mobile homes near the lake,
many of which flowed right over the top of Remmel Dam.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

2002
Key West, FL recorded 4.02 inches of rain in 24 hours as a slow moving band of storms lingered over the area. Their average May precipitation is 3.31 inches.
Snowflakes flew across Lower Michigan as record cold weather prevails. Record lows include the 26° at Lansing, 29° at Muskegon and 30° at Grand Rapids.
The freezing temperatures cause heavy losses to orchards across western Lower Michigan. Meanwhile on the same day Fairbanks, AK reached 77°.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2008
Southwest:
Even by American desert standards, the searing heat is one for the books.
Death Valley, California sizzles at 120 °F while residents of Phoenix, Arizona witness the year's first high of 110 °F.(Ref. WxDoctor)

2009
Minnesota:
At 4 PM ,Granite Falls in southwestern Minnesota bakes with a temperature of 100 °F while residents of Grand Marais on the Lake Superior shore shiver with a 34 °F (a difference of 66 °F).(Ref. WxDoctor)

2018
May 19th had 0.50 inches of rain a 9-year daily record for the date; the previous record was only 0.09 in 2015.
Glen Allen would get 9.20 inches of rain by the time this Weather system had finished on the 19th.
This was from moisture come up the coast from Florida with a stationery just north of central Virginia.
Also more than 10 inches of rain fell in SW Henrico County during a 4 day period of May 16 to May 19th.
(Ref. Richmond Times Dispatch)(Ref. Glen Allen Records)

1916
A tornado struck the town of Codell, KS on the 20th in 1916. A tornado struck the town on the same day the following year (1917), and a third tornado hit Cordell on May 20th in 1918.
The tornadoes are estimated to be F2, F3 and F4 respectively on the Fujita Scale.
(Ref. WxDoctor)(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1949
Eight or more tornadoes were involved along an 85 mile long track across the counties of Gray, Ford, Hodgeman and Pawnee.
Newspapers in the area used headlines such as Tornado army attacks Kansas to describe the record breaking number of tornadoes, at least 40 that hit the central and western part of the state.
No people were killed, but hundreds of animals perished. Four funnels were seen moving northeast about 6 miles northwest of Dodge City.
A tornado moved northeast from 7 miles southwest of Coldwater, KS and just missing that town, and ending at Wilmore.
The "huge rotating column" sent the entire town of Coldwater running to storm cellars. Most of the $200,000 damage was at Wilmore, as the entire town was torn apart.
This is only one of two days in recorded U.S. history up to this time when 100 or more tornadoes occurred. The other was April 3, 1974.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1957
A 71-mile tornado track ended in Kansas City suburb-48 dead.
A tornado touched down to the southwest of Kansas City and traveled a distance of seventy-one miles cutting a swath of near total destruction through the southeastern suburbs of Ruskin Heights and Hickman Mills.
The tornado claimed the lives of forty-five persons and left hundreds homeless.
It was the worst weather disaster of record for Kansas City.
About all that remained of one house were a small table and a fish bowl atop, with the fish still swimming about inside the bowl undisturbed.
(Ref. The Kansas City Weather Almanac)

1975
Northern Illinois--A Commonwealth Edison construction worker was electrocuted when lightning struck a crane he was operating at the Seneca nuclear-powerplant site at about 2:50 p.m.
Two other workers were injured and treated for burns.(Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf)
Wind gusts to 70 mph were reported at the Greater Rockford Airport in Northern Illinois.
These storms also dropped golf ball size hail and strong winds caused widespread damage across northern Illinois.
The city of Dwight suffered major damage as 80 mph winds ravaged the town for 10 straight minutes and gusts to 90 mph were recorded.
These storms killed one person and injured 12 others.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Thunderstorms in southern Texas produced grapefruit size hail, near the town of Dilley ("by dilly"), and produced wind gusts to 73 mph at Lake Amistad.
The large hail broke windows, killed small animals, and damaged watermelon. Thunderstorms developing along a warm front produced severe weather from Indiana to the Dakotas.
Thunderstorms produced baseball size hail at Denver, IA and wind gusts to 80 mph in southern Henry County IL.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988
Thunderstorms in the south central U.S. produced wind gusts to 70 mph at Omaha, NE, and wind gusts to 80 mph at Midland, TX and Dallas, TX. Temperatures in California soared into the 90s and above 100 degrees.
San Jose CA reported a record high of 97 degrees.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Pre-dawn thunderstorms produced large hail in eastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas.
Later in the morning thunderstorms in North Carolina produced dime size hail at Hanging Dog.
Thunderstorms also produced severe weather from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Central Plains Region later that day and night, with baseball size hail reported around Lawn, TX, Novice, TX, and Eola, TX.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather across the southeastern quarter of the nation through the day and night.
Severe thunderstorms spawned six tornadoes, including one that injured two persons at Algoma, MS and another that injured nine persons at Rogersville, MO.
There were 119 reports of large hail or damaging winds. Thunderstorms produced baseball size hail at Houston, MO and damaging winds which killed one person at Toccoa, GA.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
Nearly 13 inches of rain fell in just 9 hours at Hot Springs, AR. A wall of water 4 to 6 feet high roared though the city.
Cars, many occupied, were seen floating down Central Avenue. 85 people had to be rescued from flooded cars and buildings.
The northern and western parts of the Oklahoma city were hit by very large hail up to grapefruit size pounded the area.
The hail broke windows and damaged roofs, resulting in about $50 million in damage.
Also severe flash flooding hampered cleanup efforts after 5 to 7 inches of rain fell.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1996
Record maximum temperature for Washington, DC for the date 96 °F and 97 °F temperature was recorded at the Annandale Weather Center.
(Ref. Annandale Weather Records)

1997
The rainfall total for the year at Victoria, TX stood at a whopping 34.69 inches, nearly 30 inches above 1996's January to May total of 4.81 inches and very near the normal rainfall for the entire year.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2002
A cold wave across the eastern and central U.S. led to many cities recording record low temperatures for this day.
Among them was Hartford, CT where the low of 31° was the latest in the season below freezing temperatures have been recorded.
This cold wave began two days earlier with 54 record daily lows set, followed by another 96 on the 19th.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2014
According to Weatherwise the Moore, Oklahoma tornado of May 20 was the number one weather event of 2013.
The EF5 tornado that tore through southern suburbs of Oklahoma City left 24 dead, injured 237, and destroyed 1,196 homes.
This was part of a multistate outbreak of tornadoes between May 18th and 22nd the total cost being $3.75 billion.
(Ref.Weatherwise May/June 2013 page 15)

MAY
21ST

1860
A swarm of tornadoes occurred in the Ohio Valley.
Tornadoes struck the cities of Louisville, KY, Cincinnati, OH, Chillicothe, OH and Marietta, OH causing a million dollars damage.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1895
The temperature at Norwalk OH dipped to 19 degrees to set a state record for the month of May.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1896
The temperature at Salton, CA soared to 124°, the highest ever recorded in the United States during the month of May.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1896
Salton, CA: 124 °F Highest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. during the month of May.
The mercury soared to 124 degrees at Salton CA to establish a U.S. record for May.
(Ref. Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)

1934
Record maximum temperature for Washington DC. for the date is 95 °F.
(Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA)
BR>1949
A violent tornado crossed the Mississippi River from the St. Louis area into Wood River, then to Roxanna.
This tornado damaged or destroyed 300 homes in these two towns, killing 5 people.
Four people were killed in a destroyed restaurant in Palestine, IL; one body was recovered from a tree.
A tornado causing F4 damage killed 5 people and injured 55 in St. Louis and St. Charles counties in Missouri and Madison County in Illinois.
This tornado was part of an outbreak that produced 4 different tornadoes and was responsible for 5 deaths and 57 injuries.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1973
An intense electrical storm that moved through Tecumseh, OK which resulted in lightning "fire balls ", running along the city's power lines.
Only brief power outages and minor damage were reported, except for an abandoned home that burned down after being struck by the lightning.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1975
Macomb County, Mich.--One man was killed while working on an antenna in Shelby Township.
Seven persons were injured by lightning in flooded section of Sterling Heights police station. A woman was injured in Warren.(Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf)
Yankton, SD was blasted with a 103 mph wind gust. The strong winds uprooted many trees and toppled farm structures.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1980
The temperature at Williston ND reached 102 degrees to set a record for May and the next day the mercury hit 106 degrees.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1983
Lightning injured three men as they stood under a tree at the Fox Meadows Golf Course in Memphis, TN.
The bolt evidently went through one man's neck, down his spine, and then came out a pocket.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Severe thunderstorms, developing along a sharp cold front crossing the central U.S., produced 60 mph winds and golf ball size hail at Sedalia, MO,
and drenched Hagerstown, IN with six inches of rain in one hour.
Temperatures soared into the 90s ahead of the cold front. Paducah, KY hit 94 degrees for the second day in a row.
Light snow blanketed Montana, with three inches reported at Butte.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988
Severe thunderstorms swept across southern Louisiana during the morning hours spawning six tornadoes, and producing wind gusts to 88 mph at Jennings.
Thunderstorms also produced five inches of rain in two hours at Lake Charles, causing local flooding.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Thunderstorms moving southeastward across the Central Plains Region into Oklahoma and Arkansas produced severe weather through the day and night.
Thunderstorms spawned just four tornadoes, but there were 243 reports of large hail and damaging winds.
Baseball size hail was reported at Augusta, KS, and thunderstorm winds gusted to 98 mph at Johnson, KS.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather across the southeastern U.S. for the second day in a row.
Severe thunderstorms spawned five tornadoes, including one that injured a person at Richmond, KY.
There were eighty-seven reports of large hail or damaging winds, with hail three inches in diameter reported at Austin TX.
Thunderstorms produced up to five inches of rain in Macon County, GA, and heavy rains left nearly eight feet of water over roads near Stepstone, KY.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1991
Stationary thunderstorms dumped 8 inches of rain in 6 hours on Liberal, KS, causing the worst flood in 45 years.
More than 35 homes were damaged and many people had to be temporarily relocated.
The Red Cross provided assistance and some residents could only be reached by boat.
The flood waters remained until early afternoon on the 23rd.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1992
Canadian high pressure across the Mid-Atlantic brought record low temperatures to parts of the East.
The morning low of 28° degrees in Atlantic City, NJ was the coldest ever for so late in season.
Locations that reported daily record lows for the date included: Martinsburg, WV: 35°, Salisbury, MD: 36°,
Baltimore, MD: 38°, Dover, DE: 41°, Wilmington, DE: 41°, Washington, D.C.: 43 °F.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1993
Nearly stationary thunderstorms dumped 5 to 7.5 inches of rain on the southwest side of Sioux Falls, SD causing major urban flooding.
Water came up to the roofs of cars in the Empire Mall area. Nearly 3,000 customers in Sioux Falls lost power due to the flooding.
Quarter sized hail fell for up to 1.5 hours continuously in some areas in southwest Sioux Falls causing considerable damage to hundreds of roofs, trees, and gardens.
Thousands of cars received extensive hail damage.
The storm seemed to serve as a precursor for the wet months and extensive flooding that occurred in the summer of 1993.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2001
Golfers participating in a golf tournament on the Majestic Golf Course in Hartland, MI received an urgent message on the Global Positioning Units on their carts.
The message, replayed from the clubhouse, was that a tornado was bearing down on the course.
Most of the golfers made it to safety in the clubhouse, although some had to take shelter out on the course.
Only one golfer suffered a minor injury. The F2 tornado damaged 70 cars in the parking lot along with numerous golf carts and a pontoon boat.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

The Kennebec Flood went through Waterville, ME, discharging 140,000 cubic feet per second.
The high stage was not equaled until 1901, and was exceeded in 1936.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

A violent tornado, estimated to be F4 intensity, moved across west central Illinois.
It touched down about 5 miles southwest of Roseville, and tracked due east, passing just outside of Youngstown and about 1.5 miles north of Prairie City, before lifting across Fulton County.
At least a dozen farms were completely devastated, with another 40 damaged to some degree. Three people were killed, and 28 injured, along the tornado's 16 mile track.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1876
Denver CO was drenched with 6.53 inches of rain in 24 hours, an all-time record for that location.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

A tornado moved north-northeast from 3 miles north of the Ford county line, passing 2 miles west of Dodge City.
A dozen barns and four homes were destroyed on at least 10 farms. A tornado moved north-northeast, passing 15 miles west of Kinsley, KS.
The tornado was reportedly seen to "bounce" over the prairie. One person was killed and over 200 cattle were killed by tornadoes this day.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1911
The temperature at Lewiston ME soared to 101 degrees. It was the hottest temperature ever recorded in New England during the month of May.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

A tornado moved north-northeast from 7 miles south southwest of Liberal, KS, through that town.
This tornado also struck in the total darkness of a depression era dust storm. It masked this entire western Kansas outbreak.
It destroyed the business district and the northwest residential area.
At least 165 homes and 44 businesses were badly damaged or destroyed.
Four people were killed and 150 injured. Damage was $750,000.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

Heavy rains produced one of the worst flood disasters during the early morning hours in Hays, KS.
Six people were killed. Heavy rains fell earlier in the month and this also contributed to the flooding.
1951 ended up as the wettest year for Hays with 43.34 inches of precipitation recorded.
For May and June, 20.42 inches of rain was recorded at the Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center just south of Hays.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

Thunderstorms packing extremely high winds raked portions of eastern South Dakota.
Strong winds and hail hit several counties in the northeast portion of the state with a few funnel clouds being sighted.
But, the real weather was going on in the southeast where Mitchell reported a gust of 75 miles an hour and Yankton was blasted with a 103 mile an hour gusts.
The strong winds toppled many trees and farm structures in the Yankton area.
On the backside of the storm, Laramie, WY reported 3.7 inches of snow. In contrast, out ahead of the storm system, Necedah, WI set a May record high with 93°.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

A devastating hailstorm hit the Sichuan Province of China.
Reports indicate that up to 100 people were killed, 35,000 homes destroyed and entire crops devastated.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
A powerful tornado virtually wiped the small southwest Texas community of Saragosa off the map.
The twister destroyed eighty- five percent of the structures in the town killing thirty persons and injuring 121 others in the town of population 183.
The tornado hurled trucks and autos through adobe and wood frame homes, with some vehicles blown 500 feet.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988
Thunderstorms produced severe weather over the Central Gulf Coast States.
Tennis ball size hail was reported at Ripley MS. Showers and thunderstorms in southern Missouri produced 3.20 inches of rain at Springfield to easily surpass their rainfall record for the date.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Unseasonably hot weather continued in southern Texas and parts of the southwestern U.S. Seven cities reported record high temperatures for the date,
including El Paso TX with a reading of 100 degrees.
Presidio TX was the hot spot in the nation with a high of 111 degrees.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1990
One inch of late season snow fell in Caribou, Maine and 2.0 inches fell in Houghton Maine.
Late afternoon and evening thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front in the north central U.S. produced severe weather,
from northwestern Kansas to central Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota.
There were twenty-nine reports of damaging winds, or dime to golf ball size hail.
Strong thunderstorm winds gusted to 69 mph at Alexandria MN. Showers and thunderstorms over eastern North Carolina soaked Wilmington with 2.91 inches of rain,
which established a record for the date.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

Extremely dry weather moved into northern Illinois during the month resulting in the all-time driest May for Chicago, IL on record.
On this date, this was the first day Chicago recorded measurable rain for the month and with the next days total the month ended with 0.30 inches.
This was only 9% of the monthly average.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

Strong to severe thunderstorms moved across southwest Kansas during the late afternoon and evening hours.
Hail the size of cantaloupes was reported in Preston, 7 miles northeast of Pratt.
A pea-size hailstone falls at approximately 22 miles an hour.
The golf ball size stones will plunge earthward at around 60 miles an hour while the massive baseball size stones fall at a rate of around 100 miles an hour.
In Kinsley, hail smashed numerous building and vehicle windows.
A hospital had to be evacuated when broken windows allowed heavy rain to flood the facilities. In Stafford County, Rattlesnake Creek was flooding from torrential rain of up to 11 inches.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

Sinking air from collapsing evening thunderstorms in Oklahoma warmed as it reached the surface, causing a massive heat-burst into the overnight hours.
The heatburst, with its dramatic increases in temperature and severe straight line winds spread across much of southwestern and central Oklahoma during a six hour period.
Temperatures soared to above 100° in many locations. The temperature at Ninnekah, OK soared from the low 80’s to 105° between 11 PM and 3 AM.
Wind speeds in excess of 70 mph were measured throughout southwest Oklahoma and in parts of central and south-central Oklahoma.
Damage in the Lawton and Marlow areas was severe. Total damage estimates exceeded $18 million dollars.
A severe thunderstorm pummeled the northwest and north sections of Denver, CO with large hail ranging from three-quarters to 2 inches in diameter.
The cities of Arvada and Westminster were the hardest hit.
The insurance industry estimated $60 million dollars in damage to homes and personal property and $62 million dollars in damage to automobiles.
The estimate also included the cities of Golden, Thornton and Wheat Ridge.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2002
An unusual late season frost in the North Carolina Mountains caused significant damage to the Christmas tree crop.
13 inches of snow fell at Cooke City, MT through the 23rd.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2004
A F4 tornado tracked 54 miles through Jefferson, Saline, Gage, Lancaster, and Otoe Counties in Nebraska.
95% of the buildings in the town of Hallam were destroyed or severely damaged. The tornado was 2.5 miles wide at one point.
One person was killed, 38 injured, and damages totaled $160 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2011
The Joplin Tornado was reported to have developed directly over Joplin with the first report of the tornado in Joplin at 5:41 pm CDT, 5/22.
Latest reports from mid-day Tuesday 5/24 indicate an estimated 118 fatalities and several hundred injured in the Joplin, MO area.
The Joplin tornado is the deadliest since modern record keeping began in 1950 and is ranked 8th among the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history.
The tornado surpassed the June 8, 1953, tornado that claimed 116 lives in Flint, Mich., as the deadliest single tornado to strike the U.S. since modern tornado record keeping began in 1950.
The deadliest tornado on record in the U.S. was on March 18, 1925.
(Ref. NWS and the Asso. Press Report )

2014
West Henrico County Glen Allen, Virginia Hail Storm
The rain started at 1637 and ended by 1710 hours and the storm’s total precipitation was 0.77 inches.
The maximum wind gust was 40 mph from the NNE at 1641 hours just before the hail started.
A very short but very intense period of hail occurred between 1643 and 1647 hours.
Hail size varied more than what I have observed from other storms.
The size ranged 0.3 inches to 0.7 inches or pea to dime size but the average diameter was 0.4 inches.
The ground had enough hail on it that it was crunchy when walking on it and was enough to actually measure at 0.5 inches at least.
If the grass was shorter the yard would have appeared white with the hail covering.
(Ref.Glen Allen Weather Center- Koontz)

MAY
23RD

1783
Massachusetts lawyer James Otis often remarked to friends that when it was his time to die he hoped it would be by a bolt of lightning.
Today he got his wish when he was leaning against a doorway in his home and lightning struck the chimney and traveled through the frame of the house, killing Mr. Otis.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1814
Hailstones as large as 11 inches in diameter and weighing a half pound reportedly pounded parts of New Hampshire.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1882
An unusual late season snow blanketed eastern Iowa, with four to six inches reported around Washington.
(Ref. David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)

1943
Record flooding was in progress along the Illinois River. Peoria, IL reported a crest of 28.8 feet on this date, marking the highest crest on record.
Downstream, record crests occurred at Havana on the 25th, at 27.2 feet, and at Beardstown on the 26th, at 29.7 feet.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1953
The temperature at Hollis OK soared from a morning low of 70 degrees to an afternoon high of 110 degrees to establish a state record for the month of May.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1968
One of the costliest hail storms in Oklahoma City, OK history pummeled the city on this date.
Hail the size of baseballs fell over much of the city, resulting in more than 40,000 insurance claims over the 90,000 square mile path of the storm.
The final cost was more than $20 million dollars. The parent thunderstorm also caused flash flooding that left 2 to 4 feet of water in some underpasses, and a lightning strike that started a fire that killed two people.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1975
A cold spring storm moved in to the Plains but not after leaving 5 inches of snow, and 1.12 inches of precipitation, at Laramie, WY.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
It was a busy day for thunderstorms in the central U.S. Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 65 mph at Shreveport LA and golf ball size hail at Marfa TX.
Hobart OK received 3.55 inches of rain in the morning and another 4.03 inches of rain that evening.
Thunderstorms in Nebraska produced 8.5 inches of rain in two hours north of Potter and 7.5 inches of rain in ninety minutes north of Minatare.
Thunderstorms in Colorado produced five inches of hail at Greeley.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988
Thunderstorms produced severe weather across much of the eastern U.S. Golf ball size hail was reported in Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Ohio.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1989 East coast rains sets all-time May record NY - 11 inches, Bridgeport, CT - 9 inches, Baltimore, MD - 8 inches.
Severe thunderstorms developing along a cold front resulted in 98 reports of large hail and damaging winds in the Northern Plains and Upper Mississippi Valley.
Golf ball size hail caused a million dollars damage around Buffalo City, WI where baseball size hail was reported at Northfield MN and Randolph MN,
and thunderstorm winds gusted to 95 mph at Dunkerton, IA.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
Unseasonably hot weather continued in the south central U.S. Pueblo CO equaled their May record with a high of 98 degrees,
and the high of 106 degrees at Midland TX marked a record six straight days of 100 degree heat.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1990
A cold front crossing the western U.S. produced snow over parts of Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho and Utah, with five inches reported at Austin NV,
and four inches at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.
Strong winds behind the cold front sharply reduced visibilities in blowing dust over central California, and two multi-vehicle accidents resulted in one death and eighteen injuries.
In northern Idaho, a cloudburst washed tons of topsoil and rocks as large as footballs, into the valley town of Culdesac.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1991
Thunderstorms in the Denver, CO area produced large hail up to golf ball size.
An estimated 5,000 homes and 8,000 cars received considerable damage.
Damage was estimated at $60 million dollars. Hail accumulated to a depth of 6 inches at Aurora.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1997
David McWilliams Ludlum was born 1910 in East Orange, NJ - He is responsible for researching and publishing Much of the early history of weather in early America.
David died May 23, 1997 in Princeton, New Jersey. He was an American historian, meteorologist, entrepreneur and author.
David M. Ludlum's death

2000
The record for the hottest May temperature ever recorded at Wichita Falls, TX occurred on this date and on the following day.
The temperature rose to 110° on both days. Other daily record highs included: Roswell, NM: 106°, Abilene, TX: 106°, Del Rio, TX: 105°, Lubbock, TX: 105°,
San Angelo, TX: 105°, Amarillo, TX: 102°, Oklahoma City, OK: 100 °F.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2001
The temperature hit 116° at Palm Springs, CA. This tied their highest temperature for the month of May with 5/28/1983 & 5/28/2003.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2002
A Pacific storm system brought some much needed snow to the Colorado Mountains and foothills with a mix of rain on the Plains.
Snowfall totals included: 13 inches at Coal Creek Canyon, 11 inches near Evergreen, CO.
The former Stapleton International Airport at Denver reported less than an inch.
Three temperature records were set.
The morning low temperature of 31° was a record low; as was the morning low of 32° the following morning.
The high temperature of only 48° equaled the record low maximum.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
Dense fog on I-68 in Garrett County, MD was a principal cause in a massive 80 car chain reaction accident that killed two people and sent over 90 people to the hospital.
The series of accidents occurred in about a ten minute period at mid-afternoon. The interstate was closed until 11 AM the next morning, making Memorial Day holiday traffic a nightmare.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2008
A ½ mile wide EF3 tornado raged along a 7-mile path ESE of buttermilk, KS.
Trees were “sandblasted” by debris; many uprooted. An oil tank was blown 2 miles; several antique cars still had not been found 2 months after the storm (likely dropped into area ravines).
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA)
A strong late season cold low pressure system brought significant weather changes to the southern Great Basin and Mojave Desert.
Earlier in the week Las Vegas set a record high temperature of 108° falling just one degree shy of the all-time May record.
Four days later, on this date, the high temperature only reached 67° which set a daily record for the coolest high temperature.
Also the day before, Las Vegas set its all-time lowest May altimeter reading of 29.27 inches of mercury.
Showers and thunderstorms developed around the region with several locations reporting small hail.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1877
Heavy snows occurred over parts of the northeast and New England. 4 inches of snow fell in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1894
Six inches of snow blanketed Kentucky. Just four days earlier as much as ten inches of snow had fallen across Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.
Six days earlier a violent storm had wrecked nine ships on Lake Michigan.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1896
An F4 tornado passed just north of Des Moines, IA during the late evening. As many as 7 members of one family were killed at the north edge of Valeria, IA.
They were caught in the open, running to the storm cellar. Five others died in a nearby home. A steel railroad rail was reportedly driven 15 feet into the ground.
The death toll was at least 21.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1973
The Union City, OK tornado was the first storm to be studied in detail by the National Severe Storms Laboratory Doppler Radar Unit at Norman, OK and an armada of researchers in the field.
Research of the radar data from the storm would lead to discovery of the “TVS”, or Tornado Vortex Signature.
The presence of a TVS on Doppler radar data is a very strong indication of tornadic potential in a severe thunderstorm.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Severe thunderstorms in southwest Texas spawned a couple of tornadoes near Silverton, and produced golf ball size hail east of the town of Happy.
Thunderstorms also produced large hail and damaging winds in Louisiana and Texas.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988
Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the southeastern U.S.
Thunderstorm winds gusted to 88 mph at Columbia NC. Baseball size hail was reported near Tifton, GA.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front produced severe weather across the Upper Midwest through the day and night.
Thunderstorms spawned 30 tornadoes, and there were 158 reports of large hail and damaging winds.
A strong (F-3) tornado caused five million dollars damage at Corning, IA, and a powerful (F-4) tornado caused five million dollars damage at Traer, IA.
Thunderstorm winds gusting to 88 mph killed one person and injured five others at Stephensville, WI.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
Across Illinois, in Carlinville hail of 2.5 inches in diameter caused $1 million dollars damage, including 55 broken windows at the Macoupin County Courthouse.
Six people were injured. Tennis-ball size hail fell at Litchfield. In Vandalia, baseball size hail caused $4 million damage at the correctional center.
The hail caused major roof damage and 1,000 broken windows, and even cracked 19 bullet-proof windows.
Baseball size hail was also reported south of Effingham.(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1990
Severe thunderstorms spawned two-dozen tornadoes from Montana to Oklahoma. Four tornadoes carved a 109-mile path across central Kansas.
The third of the four tornadoes blew 88 cars of a 125-car train off the track, stacking them three to four cars high in some cases, and the fourth tornado caused 3.9 million dollars damage.
The third tornado injured six persons who were trying to escape in vehicles.
A woman was "sucked out" of a truck and said that at one time she was "airborne, trying to run but my feet wouldn't touch the ground".
She also saw a live deer "flying through the air".
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
The largest known tornado outbreak in Wyoming occurred over northern and eastern Laramie County.
A dozen tornadoes were produced by a group of severe storms, with the largest tornado about a quarter mile wide.
Fortunately damage was limited due to the tornadoes remaining over open country, though hail up to 2.5 inches in diameter was reported in Albin, WY.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1992
Philadelphia, PA experienced dramatic temperature drop from early afternoon high of 80 to late afternoon readings in the 40s.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2000
Lubbock, TX soared to 109° for their hottest May temperature on record.
Midland, TX tied their highest May temperature record with 108°.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2002
The last measurable snow for the season fell at Marquette, MI.
This brought the city's seasonal snowfall to 319.8 inches, by far the city's snowiest winter ever.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2015
Some parts of the state have seen more than a foot of rain this month alone.
Storms have killed at least 17 people in Texas and Oklahoma since the weekend, and more than a dozen are still missing.
See Flood Articles May 24-May 29

1859
A child was reportedly sucked up by a waterspout at Iowa City, IA and blown 500 yards, but miraculously survived the ordeal.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1880
Record maximum temperature for Washington DC. for the date is 94 °F.
(Ref. Washington Weather Records - KDCA)
An estimated F2 tornado moved northeast through the town of Mitchell, SD.
Two men were killed when they ran out the back door of a saloon in order to reach the cellar entrance.
The Caulk Stone Saloon was destroyed along with two homes and several businesses.
This tornado was one of the first significant tornadoes on record for the state of South Dakota.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1896
A tornado causing F5 damage hit Oakwood, Ortonville, and Thomas, MI.
47 people were killed and 100 were injured.
Trees were debarked "even to the twigs, as though done by the careful hand of an experienced artisan".
Parts of houses were found up to 12 miles away.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1917
A tornado ripped through southeast Kansas, traveling 65 mph. The average speed was a record for any tornado.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1920
Fussen, Bavaria Germany recorded 4.96 inches of rain in just 8 minutes to set the world’s rainfall record for that length of time.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1950
A major storm dumped 10 inches of snow at Denver, CO and close to 11 inches at the airport.
The storm caused extensive damage to utility wires and trees which were in full leaf. Denver set a record low of 31°.
This reading remains the lowest for so late in the season.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1955
Two tornadoes struck the town of Blackwell OK within a few minutes time during the late evening.
The tornadoes killed 18 or more persons and injured more than 500 others.
Early the next morning a tornado virtually obliterated the small community of Udall, KS killing 80 persons and injuring 270 persons.
More than half the persons in the community were killed or injured by the tornado.
(Ref. David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)

1967
Boston, Massachusetts recorded destructive winds with a peak gust of 70 mph.
(Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events)
A slow moving nor'easter battered New England with high winds, heavy rain, and record late season snow from this date into the 26th.
Boston, MA reported a wind gust of 70 mph. Wind gusts of 70 to 90 mph occurred along the coast.
Severe damage occurred from very high tides. Over 7 inches of rain fell at Nantucket, MA with 6.57 inches falling in 24 hours to set a new 24 hour rainfall record.
24.9 inches of snow fell at Mt. Washington, NH to set a new May snowfall record.
10 inches of snow fell near Keene, NH and 6 inches was recorded at Dublin, NH.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1975
Raccoon Lake, Ind.--Lightning struck the motor of a speedboat and traveled up the control wires, killing the driver.
The 38-year-old man was knocked into the water by the bolt. His wife and two children, also in the boat, were not injured.(Ref. Lightning-The Underrated Killer.pdf)

1980
A severe thunderstorm crossed the southern part of Knox County in northern Texas.
The storm mainly affected the community of Munday, and to a lesser extent, Knox City.
The storm produced hail up to softball size and an incredible 4 to 10 inches of rain.
On this date through the 26th, a severe weather outbreak occurred across the state of Florida with wind gusts over 50 mph and many sections with reports of winds 75 to 80 mph.
Nine tornadoes were reported across Manatee, Dade, Alachua, Suwannee, Marion, Hendry, Charlotte, Lee, and Monroe counties and funnel clouds were sighted in practically every section of the state.
The Coast Guard reported that 39 boats capsized along the lower southwest Florida coast alone during the weekend between Gasparilla and Marco Island.
It was miraculous that only one death and no serious injuries were reported in Florida.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1982
Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX reported flooding from 2 inches of rain. The rain brought the month total to over 13 inches, which made it the wettest May on record.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1985
One unfortunate fire fighter was struck by lightning as he was helping to extinguish a lightning caused blaze that burned some 50 acres of grassland and forest in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Thankfully, the man lived, but he did suffer several broken bones, burns, and major damage to his ears.
The strike was so powerful that a man standing over 150 feet away from the fire fighter was dropped to his knees.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Thunderstorms spawned fifteen tornadoes in West Texas.
One thunderstorm spawned a powerful tornado near Gruver TX, along with golf ball size hail and 75 mph winds.
A man on a boat on Lake Bistineau in northwest Louisiana was struck and killed by lightning, while the other three persons in the boat were unharmed.
The man reportedly stood up in the boat and asked to be struck by lightning.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988
Unseasonably cool weather prevailed in the Upper Midwest. Marquette MI reported a record low of 26 degrees.
Thunderstorms in the north central U.S. produced wind gusts to 62 mph at Idaho Falls ID, and produced 4 inches of rain in less than four hours in northern Buffalo County.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Thunderstorms developing ahead of a strong cold front produced severe weather from Oklahoma to Ohio through the day and night.
Thunderstorms spawned nine tornadoes, and there were 155 reports of large hail and damaging winds.
Hail three and a half inches in diameter was reported at Dittmer, MO and thunderstorm winds gusting to 90 mph caused twenty million dollars damage at Rockville IN.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Evening thunderstorms spawned four tornadoes in Kansas and Missouri, and there were three-dozen reports of large hail or damaging winds.
Thunderstorms produced hail two inches in diameter at Cole Camp, and wind gusts to 72 mph at Rosebud.
Heavy thunderstorm rains produced flash flooding in central Missouri.
Floodwaters swept through Washington State Park southwest of Saint Louis, and nearly one hundred persons had to be rescued from water as much as twenty feet deep.
The floodwaters swept away a number of vehicles some carried as much as four miles away.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1991
Hot weather prevailed across the Mid-Atlantic States. Philadelphia, PA recorded 96°, making it the sixth 90-degree reading in the month, which set a record.
There would be a dozen 90-degree days in the month. Baltimore, MD hit 94° and Dulles Airport at Sterling, VA hit 92° to set record highs for the date.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1995
A woman carrying an umbrella was struck outside a high school in Winchester while walking to her car.
She suffered first degree burns on her left hand where the lightning came down the umbrella and entered her body
and on her right foot where the lightning left her body and entered the ground. (Ref. Lightning - Virginia Weather History)

1996
Eleven people were injured by lightning while picnicking at C. B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines, FL.
The lightning struck a tree then jumped to a picnic table and shocked 11 of the 23 people nearby.
One person was seriously injured and hospitalized after the lightning burned a gold chain into his neck. It was not raining at the time.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2008
A rare, large and destructive EF5 tornado created a 43 mile long path across Butler and Black Hawk counties in Iowa.
This tornado killed 8 people, injured dozens and caused several millions of dollars worth of damage.
The tornado was nearly three quarters of a mile wide as it moved through the southern end of Parkersburg.
A third of the town was affected by devastating damage with nearly 200 homes destroyed.
This was the first EF5 tornado to strike Iowa since 6/13/1976 and only the third EF5 tornado to occur in the United States in the past 10 years.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2010
Later in the month, winter made another appearance in the West, with cold and snow crossing the region during May 19-25.
On May 25, Salt Lake City measured its latest snow ever.
The cool, snowy spring in the West provided ski areas with an extended season. Snowbird in Utah, for example, kept its lifts running into the second weekend of June.
(Ref. Weatherwise U.S. Weather Highlights of 2010 page 6 )

1771Greatest flood ever known in Virginia recorded by Thomas Jefferson.
A famous Virginia flood occurred as heavy rains in the mountains brought all rivers in the state to record high levels.
(Ref. Sandra and TI Richard Sanders -1987)

1917
A tornado touched down near Louisiana, MO about noon and remained on the ground for a distance of 293 miles,
finally lifting seven hours and twenty minutes later in eastern Jennings County IN.
The twister cut a swath of destruction two and a half miles wide through Mattoon IL. There were 101 persons killed in the tornado,
including 53 at Mattoon and 38 at Charleston IL.
Damage from the storm totaled 2.5 million dollars.
(Ref. David Ludlum)(Ref. Wilson - Additional Information Listed On This Link)

1924
On this date through the 27th, an outbreak of tornadoes occurred in the Deep South that killed 53 people. An entire family of eight was killed near Elkmont, AL.
10 people were killed and 30 were injured as an F3 tornado stormed across jasper Clarke and Lauderdale counties in Mississippi.
Another 15 people were killed and 74 others injured when F2 tornadoes marched across Washington, Lincoln, Noxubee, Covington, Jones and Clarke counties.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1955
Udall, Kansas:
An early-morning a tornado virtually obliterates the small community of Udall killing 80 persons and injuring 270.(Ref. WxDoctor)

1961
Snow flurries are observed across Lower Michigan as unseasonably cold air moved in.
Temperatures fell well below freezing the next morning, wiping out much of the fruit crop.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1967
A great coastal Nor'Easter struck New England. Winds up to 80 mph were reported along the coast.
5 to 10 inches of very late season snow fell in the Berkshires.
Much of the tobacco crop in the Connecticut Valley was wiped out as freezing temperatures were reported.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1982
Cut Bank, MT was shivering with a temperature of 35° and a mix of rain and snow.
This fact is interesting because the temperature the day before was 78°.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1984
Thunderstorms during the late evening and early morning hours produced 6 to 13 inches of rain at Tulsa OK in six hours (8.63 inches at the airport).
Flooding claimed fourteen lives and caused 90 million dollars property damage. 4600 cars, 743 houses, and 387 apartments were destroyed or severely damage in the flood.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The Weather Channel)

1985
Large hail fell over much of north-central Oklahoma.
Hail that fell just north of Edmond was described as orange size, while baseball size hail fell in Guthrie.
Many towns in Garfield County observed hail the size of tennis balls, including Medford, Douglas, Covington, and Kremlin.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Thunderstorms in southwest Iowa spawned five tornadoes and produced up to ten inches of rain.
Seven inches of rain at Red Oak forced evacuation of nearly 100 persons from the town.
Record flooding took place in southwest Iowa the last twelve days of May as up to 17 inches of rain drenched the area.
Total damage to crops and property was estimated at 16 million dollars.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988
There was "frost on the roses" in the Upper Ohio Valley and the Central Appalachian Mountain Region.
Thirteen cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Youngstown OH with a reading of 30 degrees.
Evening thunderstorms in North Dakota produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Jamestown.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1989
Thunderstorms produced large hail in eastern Oklahoma during the pre-dawn hours and again during the evening and night.
Hail two inches in diameter was reported near Prague and thunderstorm winds gusted to 70 mph near Kenefic.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather from eastern Colorado to western Arkansas and northeastern Texas.
Severe thunderstorms spawned three tornadoes, and there were eighty-eight reports of large hail or damaging winds.
Evening thunderstorms over central Oklahoma spawned strong tornadoes east of Hinton and east of Binger,
produced hail three inches in diameter at Minco, and produced wind gusts to 85 mph at Blanchard.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1992
A widespread frost and hard freeze hit most of South Dakota except for the southeast.
Record low temperatures were set at Huron: 28°, Pierre: 29° and Rapid City & Aberdeen with 30°.
The coldest temperature in the state was 18° near Wessington Springs. The widespread freeze was hard on the agricultural community where $14 million dollars in crop losses were estimated.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
A BMI airbus bound for Cyprus from Manchester, England encountered a violent thunderstorm over Germany.
The plane bounced and twisted violently as it ran into severe turbulence with huge hailstones pounding the exterior.
A football sized hole was punched in the plane's exterior.
None of the 213 passengers or eight crew members was seriously hurt.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2005
Seattle-Tacoma, Washington on the 26th and 27th:
High temperatures of 89 °F on the 26th and 27th at SeaTac International Airport breaks daily maximum records.
The first breaks a 58-year-old record, the second a 33-year-old record for the date.(Ref. WxDoctor)

1826
A tremendous hail storm struck the eastern shore of Maryland during the evening damaging wheat and vegetable crops from Hillsborough in Caroline County to
Easton in Talbot County. One person was killed. Between the Severn and Patapsco Rivers, hail the size of eggs fell. Across the bay in Calvert County, a man was killed by hail.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1896
A massive tornado struck Saint Louis, MO killing 306 persons and causing thirteen million dollars damage.
The tornado path was short but cut across a densely populated area.
It touched down six miles west of Eads Bridge in Saint Louis and widened to a mile as it crossed into East Saint Louis.
The tornado was the most destructive of record in the U.S. up until that time.
It pierced a five-eighths inch thick iron sheet with a two by four inch pine plank.
A brilliant display of lightning accompanied the storm.
(Ref. David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)

1909
Bakersfield, CA reached 104°; their hottest temperature for May which featured 12 days with triple digit temperatures, the most ever for that location.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1917
67 people were killed and 345 were injured when an F4 tornado tracked 50 miles through Lake County in Tennessee and Fulton, Hickman, and Graves Counties in Kentucky.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1931
Clay County, Minnesota:
Tornado broadsides the Great Northern Railway's transcontinental passenger train. The Empire Builder heading eastbound from Seattle to Chicago.
Five coaches weighing 70 tons each were lifted off the track. One was carried 80 feet.
There were 57 injured, and one killed of the 117 passengers. The passenger that was killed was blown through a window.(Ref. WxDoctor)

1973
A large F4 tornado cut a 135-mile path across central Alabama. Hardest hit was the town of Brent where five people perished and 90% of the town was demolished.
Seven people died along the path of the twister. Cancelled checks from Greensboro, AL were found at Gadsden, AL, over 100 miles away.
Another killer tornado struck Centerpoint on the northeast side of Birmingham, killing one person.
One person was killed and 35 people were injured when an F3 tornado stormed across Jones County, Mississippi.
Another 3 people were injured when an F2 tornado swept across Clarke County. A second F2 tornado also moved across Scott County that evening.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1984
Thunderstorms dumped 8.63 inches of rain on Tulsa, OK in only 6 hours.
The resultant flash flooding killed 14 people and total damage was $89.6 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Severe thunderstorms in West Texas produced baseball size hail at Crane, hail up to three and a half inches in diameter at Post,
and grapefruit size hail south of Midland.
Five days of flooding commenced in Oklahoma.
Thunderstorms produced 7 to 9 inches of rain in central Oklahoma. Oklahoma City reported 4.33 inches of rain in six hours.
Up to six inches of rain caused flooding in north central Texas.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988
Sunny and warm weather prevailed across much of the nation to kick off the Memorial Day weekend.
Afternoon thunderstorms in southern Florida caused the mercury at Miami to dip to a record low reading of 69 degrees.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Unseasonably hot weather prevailed in the southeastern U.S. Ten cities reported record high temperatures for the date as readings soared into the 90s.
Lakeland FL reported a record high of 99 degrees, and Biloxi MS reported a temperature of 90 degrees along with a relative humidity of 75 percent.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1990
Thunderstorms produced severe weather from north central Texas to the Central Gulf Coast Region.
Severe thunderstorms spawned four tornadoes, and there were eighty-one reports of large hail or damaging winds.
Late afternoon thunderstorms over southeast Louisiana produced high winds that injured twenty-seven persons at an outdoor music concert in Baton Rouge,
and high winds that gusted to 78 mph at the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1991
From this date through the 28th, severe thunderstorms produced wind gusts of over 80 mph with numerous reports of over 60 mph.
However, the real threat with these storms was the hail. Over 1,000 nesting birds were killed by falling hail at La Creek Refuge in Bennett County.
Softball size hail was reported just north of Artesian in Sanborn County, and near Arlington in Kingsbury County.
The hail completely destroyed a grain bin near Arlington. Many areas had golf ball size hail or larger.
Many homes had windows knocked out and roofs damaged. The storms produced millions of dollars in damage.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1992
Late record snow in CHEYENNE, WY measured 4.3 inches.

1995
A violent tornado moved from near Carroll to near Fonda, Iowa.
Carroll County was also clipped by another violent tornado which moved from near Coon Rapids to near Churdan, Iowa.
This tornado picked up a car and tossed it more than a quarter-mile into a field.
One student's homework papers were found some 55 miles away in the town of Gilmore City.
The Iowa State Patrol closed off a four mile section of the interstate to allow the half-mile wide tornado to pass.
Greene, Adair, Carroll, Guthrie, Sac and Union counties were declared disaster areas.
Some damage estimates included $2 million dollars in Greene County, $1.2 million in Carrol and Union Counties, $828,000 in Adair County and $642,000 in Sac County.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1996
Big Spring, TX was hit by a hailstorm with 5 inch diameter hail.
Nearly 50 people were injured and damage was estimated at $30 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1997
An F5 tornado killed 27 people in Jarrell, TX. Although tornado warnings were issued 30 minutes in advance and local sirens were sounded, there were few places to go for safety.
Most homes were on slabs, with no basements to shelter in. Houses were swept clean off their foundations, with little debris left behind.
Total damage was $20 million dollars. The same thunderstorm complex produced a wind gust to 122 mph at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
Moving in a general northeast to southwest direction, the deadliest U.S. tornado of 1997 killed 27 people in Jarrell, Texas.
The F5 storm up to three quarters of a mile in width tore asphalt from the roads, swept slabs bare of their homes, and threw cattle one quarter of a mile.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2012 Accord Pub. 2011, USA)

2001
This day brought one of the most destructive and widespread windstorms to much of Oklahoma and north Texas in recent memory.
These storms left one person dead, 4 injured, 160,000 people without power and over $350 million dollars in damage in Oklahoma alone.
Several non-tornadic wind reports in excess of 100 mph were recorded, and it took nearly a week to restore power to all of the affected areas.
May 27-28, ......"The People Chaser Derecho" States affected....KS, OK, TX
(Ref. For More Information)
The first of three hail storms in a six day period hit Dodge City, KS.
Severe weather also occurred across Southwestern Kansas with several reports of 80 to 100 mph winds.
In addition, hail storms moved through Dodge City on the 29th and June 1st.
All three storms produced at least golf ball sized hail resulting in lots of roof damage.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
Broward Counties, Florida:
As much as 11 inches of rain fall during the afternoon and evening hours in eastern Broward County, flooding streets with up to two feet of water.(Ref. WxDoctor)
A British-Midland International Airbus had large hail puncture it's nose cone over Germany.
However, the plane landed safely without any reported injuries.
(Ref.Extreme Weather by H. Michael Mogil Text Copyright 2007)- Extreme Global Hail Events p. 152

2015
Some parts of the state have seen more than a foot of rain this month alone.
Storms have killed at least 17 people in Texas and Oklahoma since the weekend, and more than a dozen are still missing.
State climatologist Gary McManus from the Oklahoma Climatological Survey calculated the May rainfall total averaged over all Sooner State reporting stations through midday May 29 - 14.18 inches
- was easily outpacing the previous record wet month, set in October 1941 (10.75 inches).
Not to be outdone, Texas has picked up a statewide average of 7.54 inches so far in May,
crushing the previous record wet month of June 2004 during which a statewide average of 6.66 inches of rain fell,
according to the Office of the State Climatologist at Texas A&M University.
Picture of a Blanco River Bridge - Flood Articles May 24-May 29Texas and Oklahoma Flood May 24Ref.(Jeanne Johnson May via The Weather Channel Facebook)

2017
On the evening of May 27, 2017, a thunderstorm approached the Springfield Park area from the west southwest coming roughly down Route 64.
At 5:36 PM Glen Allen had a wind gust to 29 mph that was followed by the beginning of small hail that was approximately 0.5 inches in diameter and lasted for about one minute.
At 5:38 PM large hail began to fall that was approximately 1.25 to 1.5 inches in diameter.
Note the time on the radar capture image is 5:38 PM and you can see the area of hail at its maximum diameter here was bounded by Nuckols Road on the north,
Springfield Road on the east, Broad Street on the south, and Innsbrook on the west. The Springfield Park Glen Allen station is located at the center of this perimeter.
Some of the hailstones were flat like platelets about three quarters of an inch thick and they were even larger some upwards to 2 inches. See image three.
Our area was fortunate however because the large hail soon tapered back to ½ inch in approximately 1 minute.
The hail stopped by 5:40 PM and only the rain continued.
The rain ended at 6:25 PM but was soon followed by a second thunderstorm giving rain from 6:35 PM and
ended at 11:35 PM as the second thunderstorm was followed by general area of rain.
Pictures G1 through G3 show the distribution of hailstones during this three minutes.
But all three of these images were taken approximately 5 minutes after the hail stopped. The largest hailstones were about the size of a golf ball.
Number 4 was more spherical, what most people would think of when envisioning hailstones and about an inch and a half in diameter.
Number 5 is also rather spherical but had jagged points and was also about 1.5 inches in diameter.
Number 6 was only about 1.25 inches in diameter but was one of the more interesting disks as it had a white core, an area that was rather clear and a very clear perimeter.
Number 7 was very similar to 5 but a different hailstone. Number 8 was about 1.5 inches in diameter and again seems to form from hailstones coalescing into a conglomerate.
Number 9 showed the clearest premature circle of ice which meant that it had fallen through some super cooled air and water coating the stone and froze more slowly giving the clear ice.
The 9 hailstones shown gives one an idea of how their shapes varied. This was the largest hail that the Glen Allen Station has recorded in its past 8 years of existence.
Ref.(LLK Glen Allen Springfield Park Weather Station)

2018
On the 27th, for the second time in 3 years, (3rd major flood since 2011), devastating flash flood inundated historic Ellicott City, leading to the death of one
person and major damage to homes and businesses. A state of emergency was declared in Howard County. The flooding was even more destructive than the
July 2016 event according to press reports; multiple water rescues were reported. Downtown Catonsville also reported widespread flash flooding. Rainfall up to
10.38" was reported in Catonsville (Baltimore County) and 8.40" in Ellicott City (Howard County)
Ellicott City Flood 2018 - Ref.(Capital Weather Gang)

MAY
28TH

1809
Three tornadoes crossed through the town of Cincinnati, OH and then traveled up the Ohio valley.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1880 Savoy, TX was hit by an F4 tornado. 14 people were killed and 60 others were injured.
It leveled the entire business and northeast residential sections.
The tornado was described as "a funnel blazing with balls of fire".
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1887
San Francisco's highest May temperature 97°

1896
F3 tornadoes skipped through Montgomery and Bucks counties in Pennsylvania, then across Mercer and Monmouth counties in New Jersey from south of Ambler,
to Jarrrettstown south of Hatboro, near Langhorne, then crossed the Delaware River, 4 miles south of Trenton, NJ.
Damage was done to businesses at White Horse and Allentown, NJ.
Losses totaled over $200,000 dollars. At least 16 barns were destroyed and all of the 4 deaths may have been in barns or stables, 2 in each Pennsylvania County.
15 other people were injured.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1942
The latest snowstorm of record for the state of Iowa left ten inches at LeMars, eight inches at Cherokee, and 7.5 inches at Waukon.
Afternoon highs were in the lower 30s in parts of northwestern Iowa.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1947
A storm produced heavy snow across Wisconsin with ten inches reported at Gay Mills.
The snow damaged fruit and other trees and downed power lines.
The storm was followed by the coldest weather of the month for much of the High Plains Region and Missouri Valley.
Williston ND reported a low of 21 degrees the morning of the 28th, and the next morning Cheyenne WY reported a morning low of 16 above zero.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1973
Two F3 tornadoes touched down during the afternoon in Morris County, New Jersey, with an F1 reported in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
One of the New Jersey tornadoes injured 12 people.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Thunderstorms produced torrential rains in Oklahoma and northern Texas. Lake Altus OK was deluged with nine inches of rain.
Up to eight inches drenched northern Texas, and baseball size hail was reported north of Seminole and at Knickerbocker.
Ten to 13 inch rains soaked central Oklahoma the last five days of May resulting in an estimated 65 million dollars damage,
and forcing several thousand persons to evacuate their homes, many by boat or helicopter.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988
A sharp cold front began to usher cold, wet and windy weather into the western U.S.
Thunderstorms in the Great Plains Region produced wind gusts to 80 mph near Brookings SD.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1989
Unseasonably hot weather continued in Florida. Five cities reported record high temperatures for the date.
The record high of 98 degrees at Lakeland FL was their fifth in a row.
Thunderstorms produced severe weather in Florida late in the day, with golf ball size hail reported at Kissimmee.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Two to five inches of rain over southeastern Ohio on the 28th and 29th capped an exceptionally wet month of May and triggered widespread flooding.
Flooding which resulted claimed three lives and caused millions of dollars damage.
Numerous roads in southeast Ohio were flooded and impassable and many other roads were blocked by landslides.
(Ref. Storm Data)

1996
Thunderstorms with extremely heavy rains moved through northern Illinois. Flash flooding was reported in several counties.
In Rockford, 4.77 inches of rain fell with Doppler radar estimates exceeding 5 inches in just 8 hours over parts of northern Illinois.
Creeks in Dekalb, Winnebago and Boone counties quickly rose out of their banks.
As much as 2.5 inches of rain in less than one hour was reported in the city of Dekalb.
An F4 tornado moved through Jefferson, Bullitt, and Spencer counties in Kentucky, injuring 10 people, damaging 600 homes and causing $100 million damage.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
Battle Mountain, Nevada:
A new Nevada maximum temperature record for May is set when the high temperature rises to 102 °F. at Battle Mountain, NV.
Record highs for May were tied at Palm Springs, CA: 116° (5/23/2001 & 5/28/1983), Las Vegas, NV: 109° and Palomar Mountain, CA: 91° (5/31/2001).
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)(Ref. WxDoctor)

2006
Near Weirsdale, Florida, lightning hit a tree traveled to a metal fence, and to a 10 year old girl holding the fence.
She suffered red entry marks on her arms and abdomen and a black exit mark on her rear end but she survived.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2007 Accord Publishing, USA)

2015
Some parts of the state have seen more than a foot of rain this month alone.
Storms have killed at least 17 people in Texas and Oklahoma since the weekend, and more than a dozen are still missing.
State climatologist Gary McManus from the Oklahoma Climatological Survey calculated the May rainfall total averaged over all Sooner State reporting stations through midday May 29 - 14.18 inches
- was easily outpacing the previous record wet month, set in October 1941 (10.75 inches).
Not to be outdone, Texas has picked up a statewide average of 7.54 inches so far in May,
crushing the previous record wet month of June 2004 during which a statewide average of 6.66 inches of rain fell,
according to the Office of the State Climatologist at Texas A&M University.
Picture of a Blanco River Bridge - Flood Articles May 24-May 29Texas and Oklahoma Flood May 24Ref.(Jeanne Johnson May via The Weather Channel Facebook)

1947
Wisconsin on the 28th and 29th:
Wisconsin: An unprecedented late-spring snowstorm blasts portions of the Midwest from northern Iowa to eastern Upper Michigan.
Hardest-hit is southwest Wisconsin where 10 inches of snow fell just south of La Crosse.
The heavy snow causes severe damage to power and telephone lines and the already-leafed-out vegetation.(Ref. WxDoctor)

1951
A massive hailstorm, from Wallace to Kearney County in Kansas, caused six million dollars damage to crops.
(Ref. David Ludlum)

1953
A tornado, 600 yards wide at times, killed two persons on its 20 mile path from southwest of Fort Rice ND into Emmons County.
Nearly every building in Fort Rice was damaged. The Catholic church was leveled with some pews jammed four feet into the ground.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1982
Two major tornadoes ripped through southern Illinois.
The most severe was an F4 that touched down northeast of Carbondale, IL then moved through Marion, IL.
The twister had multiple vortices within the main funnel.
Extensive damage occurred at the Marion Airport. A total of 10 people were killed and 181 were injured.
648 homes and 200 cars were damaged or destroyed, with total damages around $100 million dollars.
Two inch diameter hail fell at Louisville, KY and Columbus, OH had a wind gust to 76 mph.
The high temperature in Greenville, SC was a chilly 54°, 28 degrees below normal.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Thunderstorms in West Texas produced softball size hail at Lamesa, and hail up to twelve inches deep east of Dimmitt.
Thunderstorms also spawned seven tornadoes in West Texas, including one that injured three persons at Wolfforth.
Thunderstorms deluged the Texas Hill Country with up to eleven inches of rain.
Severe flooding along the Medino, Hondo, Seco, Sabinal and Frio rivers caused more than fifty million dollars damage.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988
A powerful cold front brought snow and high winds to parts of the western U.S. Austin NV was blanketed with ten inches of snow,
and winds gusted to 75 mph at the Mojave Airport in California.
Strong southerly winds and unseasonably warm weather prevailed in the north central U.S. Glasgow, MT equaled their record for the month of May with a high of 102 degrees.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1989
Wintry weather gripped parts of the northwestern U.S. for the second day in a row. Great Falls, MT was blanketed with 12 inches of snow,
which pushed their total for the winter season to a record 117.4 inches.
Six inches of snow whitened the Cascade Mountains of Oregon.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced severe weather from north central Colorado to the northern half of Texas.
Severe thunderstorms spawned four tornadoes, and there were seventy reports of large hail or damaging winds.
Midday thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 90 mph at Hobart OK, and produced up to three and a half inches of rain in eastern Colorado in four hours.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1995
Massachusetts recorded a devastating tornado strike at Great Barrington, MA killing three people, injuring 24, and causing $25 million in damage. Debris was carried for more than 45 miles.
(Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events)

1996
Downburst winds from a thunderstorm picked up a small boat and airlifted it to the opposite side of a canal where it landed in a resident's yard and damaged a parked vehicle at Tampa, FL.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2000
Death Valley, California:
A new national maximum temperature record for May is set when the high temperature in Death Valley soars to 122 °F. (Ref. WxDoctor)

2002
Parts of western New York State had up to 5,000 homes were without power at the peak of the storm from downing trees and power lines.
Hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported in Perry, Wyoming County.
The training thunderstorms dropped 4 to 6 inches of rain in two to three hours in a localized area from Phelps to Newark.
A State of Emergency was declared that was declared in Newark remained in effect for a week with most schools and businesses closed during that time.
Nearly 300 basements were flooded and several roads covered with up to a foot of water remained closed for several days.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
Scottsbluff, NE set its all-time record high for May with a high of 103°. Cheyenne, WY equaled its warmest May temperature with a high of 91°, which was previously attained on this day in 2000.
Borrego Springs, CA soared to 115° and Victorville, CA hit 108°, each a record high for the month of May.
Las Vegas, NV recorded a morning low of only 89°.,/B>
This was their warmest low ever recorded in May.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2004
A significant severe weather outbreak occurred over western and central Oklahoma, mainly along and just north of Interstate 40.
Quarter to golf ball size hail was the most common size of hail that fell, but hailstones up to softball size fell just east of Custer City.
Damage surveys concluded that much of the wind damage was due to straight-line winds,
but three F1 tornadoes did track across northwestern Canadian, central Logan, and northwest Lincoln counties.
A man and his son were struck by lightning while practicing on the driving range at a golf course in southwest Denver, CO.
The father was killed and his son was seriously injured. Three other people standing nearby received minor injuries.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2006
Temperatures in the low 90s which was 20 to 30° higher than average for the date caused havoc across South Michigan.
At least 27 people including high school marching band members, a cheerleader and a military veteran passed out during a Roseville Memorial Day parade.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2007 Accord Publishing, USA)
Lightning hit near a home in Daphne, Alabama; it followed a water line into the home.
A ball of lightning exploded from the floor next to a woman standing in the kitchen and knocked her down.
She said her dog tried to stop her from entering the kitchen before the strike.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2012 Accord Pub. 2011, USA)

2015
State climatologist Gary McManus from the Oklahoma Climatological Survey calculated the May rainfall total averaged over all Sooner State reporting stations through midday May 29 - 14.18 inches
- was easily outpacing the previous record wet month, set in October 1941 (10.75 inches).
Not to be outdone, Texas has picked up a statewide average of 7.54 inches so far in May,
crushing the previous record wet month of June 2004 during which a statewide average of 6.66 inches of rain fell,
according to the Office of the State Climatologist at Texas A&M University.- Flood Articles May 24-May 29 People still missing on May 29, 2015.
Texas and Oklahoma Flood May 24Ref.(Jeanne Johnson May via The Weather Channel Facebook)Ref.(By Van Darden Web - News Editor)

MAY
30TH

1879
A major outbreak of severe weather occurred in Kansas and western Missouri.
In Kansas, tornadoes killed eighteen persons at Delphos and thirty persons at Irving.
Two tornadoes struck the town of Irving within a few minutes time virtually wiping the small Kansas community off the map.
The second tornado was perhaps two miles wide and exhibited multiple vortices.
(Ref. David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)

1917
A tornado causing F4 damage killed 10 people and injured 100 in Crawford, Washington, St. Francois, and Jefferson counties in Missouri.
This tornado was part of an outbreak that produced 7 separate tornadoes and was responsible for 21 deaths and 140 injuries.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1948
A railroad bed acting as a dam gave way during a flood along the Columbia River destroying the town of Vanport, OR.
The nearly 19,000 residents escaped with little more than the clothes on their backs.
(Ref. David Ludlum)
Twenty carloads of glass were needed in Denver CO to replace that destroyed by a severe hailstorm.
(Ref. The Weather Channel)

1968
Severe flooding occurred in parts of New Jersey. Seven people died in the flooding between the 28th through this date. Damage totaled $133 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1974
Severe thunderstorms produced winds of 57 mph or greater over parts of eastern Missouri.
Hail measuring up to 2.75 inches in diameter was also reported in St. Charles County,
Missouri and an F2 tornado caused $2.5 million dollars in damage in Adams County in Illinois.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1982
An amazing 17 inches of rain fell in a nine day period of time ending on this date at Avon, South Dakota.
This led to major flood problems in the area. Krug's lake, located one mile south of Avon, is normally dry.
Not only did the lake fill up, but it also drained into the south side of the town after a hastily constructed dike gave way.
Many dwellings in the town ended up being completely surrounded by water.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1983
Unusually high temperatures throughout the western United States caused a rapid runoff from snow pack in the Rocky Mountains.
This caused flooding which washed out bridges and caused mudslides in parts of Nevada.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1985
An F3 tornado touched down west of Elkader, IA and tracked east northeast at about 45 mph.
While the tornado did miss the town of Elkader, it did hit the County Care Facility and killed two residents.
More than 20 farmsteads were also struck, with significant damage to dwellings, farm buildings, machinery, livestock, and crops.
Total damage in Clayton County, IA alone was estimated at $9 million dollars including $1.5 million dollars at the care facility alone.
The tornado crossed the Mississippi River near Bagley, WI. There were 25 injuries in Clayton County and two injuries in Grant County, Wisconsin.
An F2 tornado caused over $100,000 worth of damage to area farms north of Livingston, WI. Baseball sized hail fell in Floyd County, Iowa.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1986
Flash flooding occurred in Jones County, Mississippi.
An estimated 5 inches of rain fell at Laurel over a period of 2 to 3 hours.
45-50 homes were damaged and many cars were stalled on roadways.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Unseasonably warm weather prevailed across the eastern U.S. Eighteen cities,
from Virginia to Ohio and Michigan, reported record high temperatures for the date.
Afternoon highs of 97 degrees at Baltimore MD and Washington D.C., and 98 degrees at Newark NJ, were records for the date.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1988
Memorial Day heralded heavy snow in some of the mountains and higher passes of Wyoming, closing roads in Yellowstone Park.
McDonald Pass, MT was blanketed with eight inches of snow, while the temperature at Miles City, MT soared to 94 degrees.
A super cell thunderstorm in west Texas produced baseball size hail in Bailey and Lamb counties and up to five inches of rain in less than an hour.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Thunderstorms produced severe weather from the Upper Mississippi Valley to the Upper Ohio Valley during the day.
A powerful (F-4) tornado injured three persons and caused a million dollars damage at New Providence, IA.
Baseball size hail was reported at Blue Earth MN.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990
Thunderstorms developing along a warm front spawned fourteen tornadoes in northeastern Texas during the late afternoon and evening hours.
The thunderstorms also produced baseball size hail near Marshall, wind gusts to 77 mph at Commerce, and up to five inches of rain.
Thunderstorms over southwestern Kansas produced up to six inches of rain.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1991Washington's hottest May ever - The mean temperature was 73.0 °F, and the months temperature departure was +7.0 °F. May had a record of eleven 90 °F days.
Three thunderstorms produced 5.65 inches of rain in a 3-hour period across New Marlboro and Sheffield, MA resulting in severe flooding.
Many roads and several bridges were washed out eventually isolating the two towns. About 89 miles of road were damaged.
Typical washouts ranged up to 8 feet deep and roads that were 25 feet wide were reduced to only 10 feet.
Power outages were widespread and a state of emergency was declared.
The flooding was the worst since 1955 for the area and total damage was estimated near $10 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1998
The town of Spencer, SD was virtually wiped off the map by a half-mile wide F4 tornado at approximately 7:30pm CDT. 92% of the homes in the town of 300 were destroyed.
Six people died and 150 were injured. Damage totaled $18 million dollars with an another half million dollars in crop damage.
Five other tornadoes occurred that night in the vicinity of Spencer. It was the first F4 tornado in South Dakota since 6/7/1993.
No one had died in a tornado in South Dakota since 7/14/1970.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
May 30-31, ......."The Southern Great Lakes Derecho of 1998" States affected ....MN, IA, WI, MI, ON, NY
(Ref. For More Information)

2002
About 40,000 people obtain permits each year to climb dangerous Mount Hood, OR.
On this date, a group of four climbers roped together was about 800 feet from the summit at a ledge called the "Pearly Gates,"
when a misstep by two climbers at the rear of the group pulled them all down and they slid into five other climbers.
One by one, the climbers fell into a deep horizontal gash in the ice that forms each spring, many of them falling as much as 250 feet. Three climbers died.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2006
The record maximum temperature of 96° F on the 30th was the second highest temperature recorded in May in the last 26 years.
The highest was on May 20, 1996 when a 97 °F temperature was recorded.
(Ref. Annandale Weather Records)

2007
Seattle, Washington:
Afternoon temperature peaks at 87 °F at Seattle's Sea-Tac Airport, tying the record high set in 1956.(Ref. WxDoctor)

MAY
31ST

1830
A tornado with a 400 yard wide track swept through Shelbyville, KY.
The tornado, which killed many people, was described in the "American Journal of Science".
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1858
A tornado moved across Warren County and devastated the town of Ellison, IL about 14 miles southwest of Monmouth.
Only 3 cabins were left standing. 19 people were killed, and 60 injured, along the tornado's 5 mile long track.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1889
The Johnstown disaster occurred, the worst flood tragedy in U.S. history.
Heavy rains collapsed the South Fork Dam sending a thirty-foot wall of water rushing down the already flooded Conemaugh Valley.
The wall of water, traveling as fast as twenty-two feet per second, swept away all structures, objects and people. 2100 persons perished in the flood.
(Ref. David Ludlum)(Ref. Wilson More Information About This Flood

1982
It was the wettest May ever for parts of northern Texas and Oklahoma. Wichita Falls, TX established record with 13.22 inches.
Oklahoma City, OK recorded 12.07 inches for the month to set a record.
May 1982 established the record for number of U.S. tornadoes in any month with 365. The record would be broken in 1995 and again in 2003, each time in May.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1983
Albany, NY experienced its wettest spring season in 109 years of records with 19.54 inches while Philadelphia, PA also had their wettest spring with 21.85 inches of precipitation.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1986
The Weather Service Office in Washington, DC reported its driest spring on record with only 3.47 inches of precipitation from March 1st to May 31st.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
Thunderstorms in New England produced wind gusts up to 90 mph at Worcester, MA and Northboro, MA, and hail an inch and a half in diameter at Williston, VT.
Unseasonably hot weather prevailed in the northeastern U.S. The afternoon high of 94 degrees at Portland ME was a record for the month of May.
(Ref. Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988
Hot and humid weather prevailed in the eastern U.S. Thirteen cities reported record high temperatures for the date.
Cape Hatteras NC reported their first ninety degree day in May in 115 years of records.
"Dust buster" thunderstorms in northwest Texas drenched Amarillo with more than three inches of rain.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1989
Thunderstorms produced severe weather and torrential rains in northern Indiana, northern Ohio and southern Lower Michigan.
Saint John, IN was drenched with four inches of rain in two hours, and Woodland MI was deluged with two inches in twenty minutes.
Pittsburgh PA reported a record 6.55 inches of rain for the month of May, with measurable rain reported on twenty-five days during the month.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary)

1990
Afternoon and evening thunderstorms developing along a warm front produced severe weather from northwest Texas to southeastern Louisiana.
The thunderstorms spawned sixteen tornadoes, including thirteen in northwest Texas.
One tornado hit the town of Spearman TX causing more than a million dollars damage, and seven other tornadoes were reported within twenty-five miles of Spearman.
Thunderstorms over northwest Texas also produced baseball size hail at Monahans, and wind gusts to 80 mph at Paducah.
(Ref. The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
187 homes and buildings were flooded in Warren County, Mississippi after nearly 7 inches of rain fell in 12 hours.
Total damage was estimated at $6 million dollars.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1991
May record seven consecutive 90°+ days-- DC May's record high temperature 99°, low 78° are both all time highs for May.
Norfolk, VA hit 100° setting a new all-time record high for the month of May and Philadelphia, PA hit 97° tying their May record high set the previous day.
This was the warmest May on record in Washington, D.C. The city also observed a record 11 days of 90-degree heat.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1992
This May was the driest on record for Chicago, IL and Rockford, IL. Only 0.30 inches of rain fell at Chicago and Rockford had a paltry 0.48 inches.
The total rainfall at El Paso, TX of this past month was 4.22 inches, making this the wettest May ever for the city.
The normal rainfall for May is only 0.24 inches, which means that this month's rainfall total was 1,758% of normal.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1995
The U.S. set a new monthly tornado record in May, 1995 with 408 twisters reported.
The record would be surpassed in the busy month of May 2003, when over 500 twisters were reported.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1997
Mount Washington, NH recorded 95.8 inches of snow for the month which exceeded the previous May snowfall record by 43.6 inches.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1998
Southeast Michigan:
During the early morning hours, a derecho strikes southeast Michigan across the Saginaw Valley, Thumb and Flint areas.
Its 70 mph winds result in two deaths, two injuries and widespread damage.
The storm had formed over Wisconsin late the previous night where damage totaled about $60 million to property and $1.82 million to crops.(Ref. WxDoctor)
Worcester, MA had a wind gust of 94 mph wind gust from microburst that ties their record.
(Ref. NOAA Boston Weather Events)
Cloud to ground lightning rates over the region reached 15,000 strikes per hour, rates not observed before over this region.
Lightning hit a car traveling on the New York State Thruway--traveled through the car to a door handle--burning the arm of 16 year old female passenger.
Lightning throughout the area shattered trees and set a number of fires.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2003
The average maximum temperature for May had a -7.32°F departure and was the coldest May on my 23-years of records.
Baltimore BWI said May 2003 was the third coldest in the last 130 years!
Annandale Weather Center listed May as the cloudiest May on record and the second cloudiest month in the last 23-years.
Only November 1986 was cloudier and not by much. May also had 23 days with measurable precipitation the most ever recorded for any month.
The old record was only 19 day in June of 1998.
(Ref. Annandale Hills Weather Center)
Richmond also had 23 precipitation days in May the most measurable precipitation days in a any month on record.
(Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC)
543 tornadoes were recorded in the U.S. for May, 2003; by far the most tornadoes ever recorded in a single month.
May of 2003 was an unusual year for tornadoes in the central United States, as most outbreaks occurred during the first two weeks of the month.
A record breaking 384 tornado's occurred in 19 states during these first two weeks, which resulted in 42 fatalities.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2010
The numbers need a little explanation. Spring doesn't end until June 21, but for meteorologists spring is March, April, and May -- so the spring numbers are in.
The average temperature for spring 2010 was 61.5 degrees that beats the previous spring record of 1945 by 0.2 of a degree.
The warmest of all springs record went down thanks to warm overnight minimum temperatures.
(Ref. Ref. NBC 12 News, Weather & NWS)

2011
The Richmond area had its warmest spring and the eighth-warmest May on record.
Figures released by the National Weather Service in Wakefield on Friday show the average temperature from March through May was 62.4 degrees.
That breaks the mark of 61.5 degrees set for the three months in 2010.
(Ref. Ref. NBC 12 News, Weather & NWS)(Ref. NWS & West Henrico Co. - Glen Allen Center)

2013
The 2nd of the top 10 weather events for 2013 was EL Reno, Oklahoma tornado of May 31, 2013.
Part of the multiday storm outbreak caused $2 billion in damage.
The EF3 that traveled through the western suburbs of Oklahoma City was the largest tornado ever observed with a width of 2.6 miles.
It took eight lives including four tornado chasers.
(Ref.Weatherwise May/June 2013 page 15)